


The Harrington Home for The Wayward

by AshWinterGray



Series: Silence and Family [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Big Brother Steve Harrington, F/M, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, Guardian Steve Harrington, Hurt Steve Harrington, Nightmares, Silence, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-08-27 17:03:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 72,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16706446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray
Summary: If there is one thing Steve Harrington has come to hate, it is the sound of silence. With his parents never home and friends who only cared for him because of cash, Steve did whatever he could to fill the silence that stalked him. Then Will Byers goes missing in 1983 and the gate is closed in 1984. Slowly and gradually, Steve finds himself dragged into the lives of those who were involved in the mess of the Mind-Flayer. And maybe, just maybe, the silence will leave.





	1. Filling the Silence

            Close your eyes. Close your mind. Don’t pay attention to anything. Just sit there. Can you hear it? Of course not. You can’t hear silence because there is nothing there. That’s what silence means. Nothing there. Of course, this was something Steve Harrington had become accustom to within his life. And something he had come to hate.

            His parents had been there when he was younger, but they started going on odd trips when he entered fifth grade. At first, they were just weekend trips, and he would be left to his own devices. By the time he entered Middle School, these trips could be several weeks. By the time he entered High School, they had become several months. And then, his sophomore year, they didn’t come back. Letters and calls would come to the house with excuses as to why they weren’t coming home. He answered the calls and pretended not to care, but he burned the letters. Parent teacher conferences became filled with excuses, and Steve was left to silence.

            He really hated silence.

            “When are you coming home?” Steve had let slip one day on a call from his mom.

            “You know I’m busy, honey,” she had said with almost no emotion in her voice. “I’ll come home when the work load goes down.”

            “Okay,” Steve had done his best to school his voice.

            “I love you,” she had said.

            She hung up before Steve could say it back. And he was left to the silence.

            It wasn’t all bad. They set him a check each day with an obscene amount of money. His mother had set up a bank account and taught him how to balance the account when he was in fourth grade. He taught himself life skills too. Cooking, cleaning, how to come up with stories, how to lie, how to fit in. Tommy H. and Carol had latched on to him the moment they found out he had money. They were the only friends Steve had ever had. No, things weren’t all bad. Until he went home.

            He’d started throwing parties, which instantly increased his popularity. Being popular meant the silence was gone, so he did whatever it took to get rid of the silence. Parties, girls, bullying. Anything to get rid of the silence, even if it meant destroying who he really was as a person. But it wasn’t enough to completely get rid of the silence.

            Nancy Wheeler had a way of getting rid of the silence. Something Steve craved, and he fell in love with her. But he messed it up and almost lost her. Then he tried to fix it. Which led to a monster attack that had everyone terrified, and Will Byers was brought back from the dead. And he got Nancy back. But to make matters worse, even when he got her back, she never loved him. So, Steve let himself go back to the silence. He needed her and went to try and get her back a third time. Being with someone who didn’t love him was better than the silence that haunted him his entire life.

            Then Dustin needed help and Steve finds himself tagging along because there is no way he is letting this kid face a monster on his own. Especially when everyone else who was apart of last year disappeared. Then there are two more kids who show up to hunt this monster and Steve is definitely not going to let any of these kids die for this. And that’s the thing. He’s so wrapped up in trying to save these kids that he doesn’t notice the silence is gone. Later, he tells Nancy everything is alright, and he lets her go. He’s seen the way she looks at Jonathan. He won’t get in the way of that, even to fight the silence.

            Suddenly he has four kids, a concussion, and is trying to save the bunch of kids who kidnapped him. The silence is gone then too, even as the demodogs are about to kill him and Dustin. And he hates that he loves the lack of silence.

            Even as he is sitting there in front of the car as the lights finished blaring, it isn’t silent. The kids’ breathing give him more of a peace of mind than he ever thought he would feel. And that is more than Steve has ever felt.

            “We need to go,” Mike says as he sits up. “We need to get back. We need to know if they are alright.”

            Steve knew he is running on adrenaline. Now if only he can keep that adrenaline going. Especially since Mike standing up was a bad idea. He let out a sharp cry of pain as he tried to put pressure on his ankle. Steve had no idea how he got to Mike’s side so quickly, but he was supporting Mike with one arm and using his other hand to feel the injured ankle.

            “Fractured, maybe sprained,” Steve concluded. “Definitely not broken.”

            He hoped more than anything that the adrenaline would not wear off now as he carefully carried a protesting Mike to the passenger side of the car. The other three seem to get the memo and climbed into the back. And Steve was quick in driving them back to the Byers house.

            Billy is clearly drugged as he stumbled out of the house, and Max managed to get him back into his car. Billy drove shakily off. Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy, and a very free Will came back. Hopper and the Eleven girl get back ten minutes after. And for a moment, Steve just watched as everyone seemed to be breathing in relief. He reveled in the lack of silence. And once he knows his four kids are safe, he let the adrenaline fade. He wasn’t sure what happened after that, but there was definitely shouting.

            When he finally woke up, it’s to the sound of someone breathing. Actually, five people breathing. It was a break from the silence that had kept him trapped the whole time he was unconscious. He woke up in a hospital room with five kids. Lucas and Max were sitting on one side of the bed, facing away from him as they held hands. Dustin was sitting on his other side, staring at Steve’s feet. Then there was Mike and Will, the two sitting on a chair a short distance away. Mike had a brace on his leg, but it wasn’t a cast or a boot, so he was a bit relieved. But Will was the only one staring directly at him. And the younger boy offered a timid smile.

            “Good morning,” Will croaked cheerily.

            Will still seemed pale, and tired. But the boy looked way better than when Jonathan had carried him out of the house to remove the Mind-Flamer thing. That was definitely a perk. And the smile was nice.

            “More like afternoon,” Mike chirped, but he was also smiling at Steve. Which was definitely surprising.

            “You really scared us buddy,” Dustin spoke, his voice a little shaky. “You were out for five days.”

            “M’fine,” Steve felt his voice crack as he spoke.

            “You don’t look fine,” Max hummed back. “Or sound find.”

            The other kids nodded in agreement. Pained looks crossed their faces, something that worried Steve to no end. But he kept his mouth shut. His voice was starting to burn in his throat. And he was in enough pain already.

            “You’ve been out for nearly five days,” Lucas finally voiced everyone’s thoughts. “Even El has used her weird mind powers to visit you. We were really worried.”

            And suddenly, Dustin let out a chocked sob as he threw himself onto Steve’s chest. “We thought you were going to die!” he sobbed out. “We thought you weren’t ever going to wake up!”

            Max is the next to fling herself at Steve and Lucas quickly following, all of them sobbing in his chest. Steve just barely manages to wrap his arms around the three of them. Mike is no longer looking at Steve, trying desperately to keep his own tears from falling. And Will just looks guilty.

            “M’fine,” Steve tries again, clearing his throat to try and get rid of the crack. “Takes more than an oversized bully and demodogs to kill me.”

            That gets watery smiles from all five kids, and Mike is quick to change the subject. Steve has no idea how the kids managed to bring all their D&D stuff with them, but it’s suddenly splayed in Steve’s lap. After he’s been checked and prodded by doctor’s of course. He let’s them play, lets his mind relax at their banter and stories. And for a second, just a split second, Steve could have sworn he saw El in the corner. And Steve was glad the silence was gone.

\-----------------------------

            It still hurt to see Nancy, even at the snowball. He drove home to wait for Dustin, but the silence became too much. So, he drove back to the school to wait for Dustin and the others. He did not expect for Joyce Byers and Chief Hopper to knock on his window. He would deny the squawk that escaped his mouth till his dying days.

            “How are you,” Hopper asked as Steve climbed out of the car, motioning to his head.

            Steve nodded, releasing an almost relieved breath. “Better,” Steve said honestly. “No permanent damage.”

            “I still can’t believe you didn’t press charges,” Hopper grumbled.

            Joyce jabbed him in the side, causing him to choke on his cigarette. There was a reason Steve hadn’t pressed charges. Max had begged him not to do it, so he complied. After she explained her home life, and her real situation with Billy, Steve had cornered Billy later, and they had a long talk. The two tended to leave each other alone after the talk. But there was an unspoken agreement between them.

            “I’ve got it handled,” Steve shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the sound of protest from Hopper. “How’s El been? The kids tell me she still hates the cabin.”

            Hopper sighed and nodded. “She hates that place with a passion,” Hopper said as he shifted to grab something tucked under his arm. “But it won’t be too long. A year’s wait at the most.”

            Steve furrowed his brow in confusion. The kids had told him that El had been permitted to go to the Snow Ball. In fact, Steve had been the one to throw out dress suggestions, even going as far to pay for the dress. But the kids had been convinced it would just be a one-time thing. Even El had seemed eager yet sad at the chance of one day freedom.

            “What do you mean Hop?” Joyce’s own expression had to mirror Steve’s own. “I thought it wasn’t safe?”

            “It still isn’t,” Hopper said. “For now. But Doctor Owens gave me something that will help.”

            And from under his arm, Hopper produces a birth certificate. El’s key to being normal, to having a simple life. Joyce and Steve are both wide eyed as they looked over the piece of paper that suddenly solved all their problems.

            “I figured I’d show her tonight,” Hopper smiled softly at the simple, yet complicated, piece of paper. “A good way to end.”

            Steve’s still trying to process the weight of a simple piece of paper when Joyce finally spoke.

            “But why a year?” Joyce asked.

            Here, Hopper sighed. “With the whole Russian spy fiasco, Doctor Owens thinks that will be plenty of time for everything to die down. It means one more year of cabin fever.”

            El still wasn’t all that comfortable with Steve, hadn’t fully warmed up to him as most of the others had. Steve honestly thought it was because Mike was still somewhat hostile towards him. But it was obvious to everyone how much she hated that cabin.

            “Then we’ll just have to find a way to keep her entertained until the year is done,” Joyce beamed, suddenly the very determined woman Steve had seen just twice these last two years. “We’ll figure out something.”

            And Steve finds himself nodding along. Of course they would. El didn’t deserve the silence. Not like he did. As Hopper tucked the paper away, a bunch of kids began to leave the school. It wasn’t long before six eager kids raced over to where Steve, Hopper, and Joyce were standing.

            “Ice cream!” they cheered eagerly. “Ice cream!”

            “No!” Hopper said instantly. “Not happening.”

            “But it’s El’s night out,” Mike protested. “She’s not going to get this again for a while.”

            “I said no!” Hopper stated again.

            “But-” Dustin tried, only to be shut down by another “no” from Hopper.

            The kids were instantly moping as El clung to Mike’s hand. And Hopper let an exasperated sigh escape his lips as the kids all crowded around El.

            “My parents aren’t home,” Steve felt the words slip past his lips before he could process them. “They’re on a business trip meeting. We could all go to my house as a sort of after party type thing. With parent permission of course.”

            The kids all looked hopefully to Hopper, far too many puppy-dog eyes looking towards the adult. He caved instantly with another sigh and a nod. Steve had never seen the kids run so quickly, except in the tunnels.

            “You sure you don’t mind,” Joyce turned to Steve with a worried expression.

            “I used to host parties,” Steve shrugged. “This will be a step down from what I normally have to clean up. And at least it will be safe.”

            Joyce nodded, but there was still worry on her face. And there was only one thing that would appease Joyce Byers.

            “You and Hopper are both welcome to come,” Steve states as he watched Mike and Dustin come racing back. “Even Jonathan and Nancy can come if they want. They were chaperoning tonight, right?”

            And there is just a relieved smile as Joyce nodded. But she doesn’t get the chance to thank him as Steve, quickly and fluidly, pulled El behind him. Sandwiching her between the car and himself. She struggles at first but stops as an unfamiliar voice greets them.

            “Hello,” the person introduces, a sour look on Max’s face beside the woman. “I’m Susan Hargrove.”

            Keeping El hidden behind him, Steve offered a kind smile. “Nice to meet you Mrs. Hargrove,” he offered pleasantly. Trying to be slightly charming. “You must be Max’s mother.”

            Mrs. Hargrove nodded stiffly, looking Steve over. “I am,” she stated. “And I would like to know what you plan to do with my daughter?”

            If Steve had a drink he would have choked on it. But as it happened, he did not have a drink and was left gaping at the woman before him with wide eyes. Even Joyce and Hopper were speechless as they stared at the woman.

            “No!” Steve finally managed to gasp out. “No! I would never do that!”

            Mrs. Hargrove only narrowed her eyes.

            “Listen,” Steve ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “These kids were being bullied a few months ago and I stepped in. I’ve just sort of taken them under my wing since then. Babysitting stuff just not paid.”

            “Only because you won’t accept it,” Joyce quickly huffed. “But he really is good with the kids. He watches over them when he can. And if it makes you feel better, I’ll be at the house and so will Chief Hopper.”

            “Why do you need Chief Hopper,” Mrs. Hargrove narrowed her never wavering gaze from Steve.

            “Old family friend,” Steve shrugged, the lie easily falling from his lips. “And since the incident with Will last year, he likes to make sure that nothing else happens to the poor kid. He pops by from time to time.”

            Mrs. Hargrove seems to melt slightly at the mention of the poor kid who had died and come back last year. Recently, Steve had begun to hate the rumors that surrounded Will, but he was glad for them tonight. And Mrs. Hargrove’s gaze instantly found the wide-eyed boy who had quickly clung to Steve’s side, furthering Steve’s lie. Steve had no idea how Will could look so innocent.

            “Just a small gathering?” she asked, still a little uneasy.

            “Just a little gathering,” Steve nodded. “Five kids, two adults, and three teenagers. Probably just going to watch a movie, eat food, and let the kids talk about who they danced with.”

            Mrs. Hargrove nodded and leaned to whisper something to Max. Max simply nodded but let a scowl cross her face as soon as her mother was gone. Steve finally let El out from behind him.

            “Mouth-breather,” El mutters as she glared at Mrs. Hargrove.

            No one bothers to correct her as Nancy and Jonathan join the cluster of people. The “small gathering” was good though. The kids talked about who they danced with, they ate food Steve had leftover, and they all passed out to a movie. Mrs. Hargrove appears on his doorstep at an insane hour and came to see the five kids all jumbled together, asleep. He made sure to hide El before letting Mrs. Hargrove in. Max was not happy to see her mother when she woke up.

            “Thank you,” Mrs. Hargrove grumbled out as she ushered Max to the car.

            They don’t talk after that. But Steve was grateful for the kids and the others that night. For once, his house wasn’t silent. He could get used to that. The complete lack of silence. But then the kids all had to go home, and Steve was left to the silence once more. However, Steve was never left in the silence for long after that.

\----------------------

            “We’re gonna die!” Dustin’s voice echoed through his house. “We are so going to die!”

            “We’re not going to die!” Lucas snapped back. “We’ll be fine!”

            “I’m with Dustin,” Max’s shaky voice reached his ears. “We are totally going to die!”

            Steve chuckled as he carefully slid the lasagna out of the oven. The kids had come straight to his house after school and had been playing Dungeons & Dragons since they finished their homework six hours ago. This campaign was a little shorter than normal, but that was because Mike had to be home by seven. Christmas was just around the corner, and Mike’s mother wanted him to help wrap gifts.

            “Foods ready!” Steve yelled to the kids. “Wrap it up!”

            There was a series of shouting as Will took his turn to role. Judging by the cheers, it was a very good role. The five kids were all seated in front of him by the time Steve has finished setting the table.

            “New recipe?” Dustin asked excitedly as he reached to dig in.

            “Old recipe,” Steve hummed back as he sat down. “But not one you guys haven’t tried. Don’t eat it all because I’m bringing some to Hopper and El later.”

            The other five kids nodded as they shoveled food into their mouths. At first, Mike had been angry that Steve was allowed to see El more than he was. The other kids had been angry too. But then they learned that El was living on TV dinners and Eggos. So as long as Steve was keeping El healthy and giving her real food, they kept their complaints to a minimum.

            “Can I come?” Max asked eagerly, a slight pleading in her voice.

            He hated having to say it, so he simply shook his head. Max seemed to deflate as she slowly shoveled more food into her mouth. He eventually had to get the kids to stop eating and as he wrapped the rest of the lasagna to take with him, the kids finished cleaning up their stuff.

            The drive home was full of ever-changing music and chatter as Max flipped through the channels. He dropped Mike off first, just three minutes before Mike was supposed to be home. Steve found it best not to anger Karen Wheeler. Lucas and Dustin went next and Max sulkily went last. He would have rather taken Max with him, but he was still on thin ice with Susan Hargrove, and he didn’t want to push things. So, Will was the only one allowed to tag along with Steve to see El and Hopper. Both Joyce and Jonathan had a late shift and there was no way Steve was leaving Will alone with his track record. Will didn’t seem to mind.

            “Eggos?” El asked hopefully as she threw open the door.

            “For desert,” Steve stated firmly. “Real food first.”

            “He made lasagna,” Will beamed as he carried the pan inside. “And it’s a different recipe.”

            El perked at this and went to grab plates and forks. Steve just chuckled, taking in the scattered work books and other encyclopedias scattered about. Hopper was clearly not back yet, or El would have quickly cleaned up her mess. And she used her powers almost instantly as there was a second coded knock at the door. Steve quickly handed El a tissue as she then used her powers to open the door.

            “Harrington,” Hopper greeted, and suddenly frowned at Will.

            “Working late,” Steve hummed as he began to put lasagna on two plates. “I’ll be taking him back in an hour.”

            Hopper nodded and quickly moved to the table to eat with El. It was nice, Will telling El about what he learned, and Hopper speaking about his day. And there wasn’t any silence. Which was the only thing that kept Steve going now. The breaks in silence. Especially since it is full of noise from people he cared for.


	2. Late That Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was three o'clock in the morning, and Steve was not expecting a knock on the door, no matter how late it was.

            It’s one of those nights where things were silent, and Steve honestly hated it. But it was a Friday night and the weekend was tomorrow. Steve, in a very odd streak of thought, decided to do his homework. The kids were really starting to rub off on him. Only, it was like, three in the morning, and Steve really wanted to finish this before morning. He doesn’t have the kids tomorrow, so he figured he would just sleep the day away. Which honestly would be the best thing he had done in a while.

            His pencil finally scribbled in the last answer to the question and he quickly slammed his textbook shut. A breath of relief escaped his lips as he quickly shoved all of his school materials back in his back pack and stood up with a stretch. He was too awake to sleep now, but he was also starving. He just started making food when it came.

            A hesitant knock on his door.

            Steve nearly dropped the spoon into the pot of soup he was making, a quick and easy recipe for short notice. But it was literally three in the morning, and someone was on his doorstep. He had the nail bat in his hands before he approached the door. He did not expect the person he was greeted with.

            “Will?” Steve asked incredulously as he took in the form of the younger boy.

            Will’s eyes were wide, panicked as he looked at Steve and then his surroundings. He wore thin pajamas, too thin for the December weather. And his body shook, and Steve couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the fear. Probably both

            “I’m sorry,” Will breathed out. That breath quickly became hiccupped sobs. “I’m sorry.”

            “Hey,” Steve quickly dropped the bat and pulled the younger into his arms. “It’s okay. Everything is okay. You’re safe. Nothing is wrong.”

            Will sobbed harder, clutching onto Steve’s shirt in desperate clumps. Steve held Will as tightly as he dared, rocking back and forth and whispering words to calm the boy. He’d seen Will’s nightmares before. Seen the effects they normally had on the younger boy. But he had no Earthly idea as to what Will was doing on his doorstep in the middle of the night. Surely his mother, or at least Jonathan, was home.

            “I’m sorry,” Will muttered into Steve’s chest. “I was just so scared.”

            Steve was quick to lift Will into the air. It helped that the boy was so light. Not for the first time, Steve wondered if Will had been eating. He quickly plopped the youngest Byers on the counter as he went back to making his soup.

            “Take your time,” Steve said simply as he stirred the broth.

            This was normal between Steve and Will. Will’s nightmares often left the younger boy in severe states of panic. Steve had learned that it was better to let Will talk in his own time. And even now, the phrase was familiar on his lips, letting Will know he didn’t _have_ to talk.

            “We were in the Upside Down,” Will started, his voice shaky. “All of us.”

            Steve nodded, letting Will know he was listening as he stirred the soup.

            “It was killing everyone,” Will breathed out. “Forcing me to watch as one by one you were all ripped apart and I couldn’t even move or speak. It just kept killing. Then I woke up as it finally turned to me. But it still felt like I was in the Upside Down. Like it was watching me.”

            Steve was quick to place a bowl of soup on Will’s lap as the boy took a shuttering breath. The tears had never stopped falling, but they were slower now.

            “I thought it was going to get me,” Will breathed. “So I ran. I ran here.”

            _Because I felt safe here_ is left unsaid, but Will’s earnest expression said it all. Pushing himself onto the counter, he threw an arm around Will and held him close.

            “You’re safe,” Steve whispered softly as Will put a small spoon of soup in his mouth. “I promise.”

            Steve didn’t miss the way Will’s eyes lit up in delight as he put a spoonful of soup in his mouth. His tear stained face slowly grew a watery smile, peace washing over the younger Byers. He let Will eat his soup in silence as Steve raked his fingers through the boy’s hair.

            “I’m sorry,” Will breathed again.

            Steve was off the counter so quickly, Will’s head had to be spinning. But Steve wouldn’t let the boy get distracted as he gripped his shoulders.

            “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Steve stated firmly. “You’re allowed to not be okay, alright? You of all people. It’s okay to freak out and be afraid.”

            Will nodded, but there was still guilt in his eyes, a deep pain that made Steve’s heart ache.

            “I was awake anyways,” Steve tried again. “I was just going to sleep the day away tomorrow.”

            Will nodded, slowly stirring his soup and occasionally taking bites. It took Steve a moment to realize the bowl was almost empty. Smiling softly at Will, Steve ruffled the youngers hair before refilling the bowl and getting himself some.

            “Let’s go to the living room,” Steve jerked his head. “I’ll call your mom real quick and then we can watch a movie.”

            Will nodded, clutching the warm bowl close as he padded to the living room to shift through Steve’s videos. And now for the hard part: calling Joyce Byers about her son. Great. Steve honestly wanted to procrastinate on this call, but the phone was at his ear in seconds as it rang.

            _“Hello?”_

            Joyce’s voice was shaky, full of a terror Steve did not want to hear. This poor woman had already been through too much. Will not being in bed had got to be stirring old and new fears.

            “Hey,” Steve tries for casual. “It’s Steve. I figured you should know that Will is here.”

            _“Oh!”_ Joyce released an obvious breath of relief. _“Is he alright? Is he safe? How did he get there?”_

“He’s fine,” Steve assured. “At least, after I got some soup in him. He raced here after a nightmare.”

            _“He walked there!”_ Joyce cried over the phone.

            Steve winced. “More like ran,” he stated back. “He woke up from a nightmare and part of that nightmare followed him when he woke up. He ran to the first place he could think of.”

            _“Is he okay?”_ Jonathan’s voice came hazily over the phone. _“Is he safe?”_

            _“He’s with Steve,”_ Joyce quickly assured. _“He’s fine.”_

            “I’m going to look after Will,” Steve promised honestly. “I promise. You can come get him now or you can wait till morning. Either way, he’ll be safe here. I promise you.”

            _“I could get him,”_ Jonathan’s voice murmured softly.

            _“Sweetie,”_ Joyce hummed, and Steve could practically see her pursing her lips. _“You’re already so exhausted.”_

“Get some rest,” Steve’s voice spoke softly yet firmly. “I’ll look after Will and bring him tomorrow. You both need sleep. I swear to you that nothing will hurt your son.”

            Joyce let out a sigh of both exhaustion and relief as she consented. And Steve realized that probably spoke volume. Joyce Byers was the fiercest mom Steve had ever met, and after the last two years, she hardly trusted others with her son. With a simple goodbye, Steve found himself smiling into the phone.

            “You okay, Steve?” Will asked, holding an empty soup bowl.

            Steve just nods and took Will’s bowl, knowing the kid wanted more. “I’m fine,” Steve hummed. “How do you feel about spending the night by watching movies?”

            Will’s eyes lit up as he nodded vigorously. He was quick to go skim Steve’s videos again, mostly full of movies the kids insisted he have, as Steve refiled Will’s soup bowl. Steve was just relieved that Will hadn’t chosen a _Star Wars_ film or _Ghostbusters_.

            He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but pounding at his door was not how Steve wanted to wake up. Will was carefully tucked under his arm, fast asleep and undisturbed by the pounding sound. The knock sounded again, more forceful than last time. With a groan, Steve nudged Will awake and moved to stand. The knock sounded a third time as Steve yawned.

            “I’m coming,” Steve breathed out as he stretched, slowly making his way to the door.

            He turned back to see Will curl back up on the couch, clutching one of the many couch cushions as he did so. Letting out another yawn, Steve gripped the handle and opened the door.

            “Where’s Will?” Mike demanded as four kids and Jonathan stared up at the very tired looking Steve. “Where is he?”

            “Sleeping,” Steve yawned out. “On couch.”

            Steve was instantly shoved out of the way as the four kids raced into the house with panicked expressions. Jonathan sent an apologetic look as he followed the kids, not that Steve noticed. He was still a little too tired for this. Entering the living room, he leaned against the wall as the four kids and Jonathan stared at Will with a slight awe. Which was an odd expression. Steve wondered if they knew what someone sleeping looked like.

            “Dude,” Dustin breathed out in a whisper as he turned to Steve. “What did you guys do last night?”

            “Talk,” Steve hummed, running a hand over his face. He really just wanted to go back to sleep. “Eat lots of soup. Watch movies. Sleep.”

            “Will’s _never_ this peaceful when he sleeps,” Mike insisted, almost as if he was accusing Steve of something.

            Steve didn’t say anything as the four kids pulled away from Will to go discuss something Steve could not bring himself to care about. He simply sank onto the couch next to Will again and tried to go back to sleep. _Tried_ being the key term. Will began to shift again, shoving the pillow away and curling into Steve’s side again. The other five people in the room stared at Steve oddly.

            “What?” Steve found himself blurting out.

            “It’s just,” Lucas began, looking from Will to Steve. “Will never let’s anyone sleep by him. Not even his mom.”

            “What the heck did you give him?” Mike demanded.

            Steve stared at Mike, wondering why the boy seemed to always be so hostile towards him. But even Jonathan was staring at Steve with a look that made Steve think he had done something wrong.

            “Soup,” Steve stated. “He had like, nine bowls of soup. Passed out at the beginning of _Superman_.”

            At this Dustin marched into the kitchen, clearly determined to figure out what was in this soup. Steve gently nudged Will again, watching as the boy sat up as if he had never been asleep. He looked around the room, blinked a few times, smiled, and fell back asleep. Steve chuckled, trying to shake the younger boy awake again.

            “It’s morning,” Steve insisted as Will buried himself into Steve’s side. “Means wake up.”

            Will groaned and buried his face behind Steve, shoving his face between Steve and the couch. “I thought you said you were gonna sleep all day,” Will groaned. “Sleep.”

            Then Dustin’s cry from the kitchen had the other three kids racing towards the sound. Jonathan stayed, hovering uncertainly as he watched Steve and Will. Steve simply reached over Will and patted the couch.

            “Come on buddy,” Jonathan hummed. “We need to go home. Mom’s worried.”

            Will pulled his face away and blinked again. “Oh.”

            Dustin suddenly ran into the room with a bowl of soup he slammed on the table next to the couch, sloshing it everywhere. “Where did this come from?”

            “My brain,” Steve said simply, yawning again. “I made it last night before Will showed up.”

            “You should try some,” Will told Jonathan quite seriously. “It’s really good.”

            Jonathan frowned but watched as Dustin shoveled another bite in his mouth. Steve wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. He just knew he was tired. Leaning his head back, Steve finally let himself fall back to sleep. When he woke up again, the kids were gone, and so was the rest of his soup. Not that Steve minded as someone had done the dishes already. His plans to sleep the day away were gone, but there was an odd sense of peace about him. Maybe it was because one of his kids felt safe with him. But Steve didn’t press that thought and simply busied himself with odd tasks.

            It was a week later, and Steve was just sort of staring at the ceiling in his bedroom. Will wasn’t the only one with nightmares, and sometimes Steve can’t sleep after he has had one. And he was so glad this nightmare happened because there was a timid knock at the door. He didn’t bother to check his appearance as he bolts down the stairs and threw open the door.

            “Steve,” Will was already in tears as he stared up at the older boy.

            Steve smiled softly, pulling the younger boy inside and rocking slightly. “I don’t have anything already made this time,” Steve hummed as he led Will into the kitchen. “Want to help me make something and then we’ll call your mom?”

            Will nodded, wiping at his tears as Steve started to pull out ingredients for brownies. The nightmare was much the same as last time for Will, except for when he woke up. Will was almost certain he saw the Demogorgon when he woke up. He was halfway to Steve’s house when he realized the Demogorgon wasn’t actually there and he had hallucinated the whole thing.

            Will was stirring the brownie batter when the phone went off and Steve spent the time assuring Joyce that her son was safe again. She was in near tears this time. Will, apparently, had not been as silent as last time.

            “You need to leave notes or something,” Steve teased as he poured the mix into a pan and stuck it in the oven. “I swear, your mom would tear Hawkins apart for you and Jonathan.”

            Will stared at Steve for a moment. “That’s a terrifying thought.”

            They ended up on the couch watching a movie, _Footloose,_ oddly enough. But they were watching it. Steve made sure to have an alarm clock down stairs, just in case they fell asleep. It was a school night after all and sleeping in would be an absolute scandal for Will.

            They ended up falling asleep.

            The next morning became a rush of Steve digging through his old clothes for something for Will to wear, which, oddly enough, fit the boy, and trying to make breakfast at the same time. But they got it done, and Jonathan met them at the school with Will’s backpack.

            “Thanks,” Jonathan nodded his head at Steve as they walk to the school.

            “Anytime,” Steve said. And he meant it.

            Will showed up at his house sporadically throughout the rest of the month, and into the rest of the year. Steve has learned to do many things to prepare for these nightmare ridden nights. The first is to have movies of different varieties because Will’s taste varies a bit more than the other kids. The second is to always have warm food ready before, or to be made when, Will shows up. The third is to have the couch as comfy as possible with blankets and other knick-knacks that will keep the younger boy satisfied. And the fourth thing is to keep his old clothes somewhere available and clean. It’s a good thing he’s got a bunch of clothes because he has yet to receive any of the clothes he gave to Will back. Not that he minds.

            Because Will felt safe, and that was all Steve can hope for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone.


	3. A Special Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin really didn't mean to do it, but it had slipped out. Steve just wasn't sure what the consequences would be.

            “Don’t be mad, okay?”

            That was not what Steve wanted to hear as he set off to take five kids home that Thursday. Four of those kids were illegally crammed in the back of his car, squished close together as they chatted. Dustin was in the passenger seat, staring at Steve with those guilty eyes that begged for forgiveness. And the fact that everyone in the back suddenly got quiet was not helping Steve’s nerves. After all, this was the same bunch of kids who dragged his unconscious form into a tunnel with the red head driving illegally.

            “What did you _do_?” Steve demanded as he gritted his teeth.

            “I’m really sorry!” Dustin suddenly exploded. “I didn’t mean too! We were just talking about you to El!”

            “Dustin-”

            “And we were talking about D&D night,” Dustin continued as though he hadn’t heard Steve. “You know, just the usual stuff we talk about on the rare chance we see her.”

            “Dustin-”

            “But I swear I didn’t know Hopper was listening! I just talked about how I came over to your house sometimes after school. Then I started describing how awesome your home is.”

            “Dustin!”

            “It just came up! And Hopper was there! And Will started confirming what I said!”

            “Hey!” Will complained.

            “Alright!” Steve snapped, making everyone go quiet. “I just want to know what happened.”

            Dustin and the kids exchanged looks, each of them shifting in their seats. And honestly, Steve could not figure out what Dustin could have mentioned about his home life that was so bad. But Hopper had clearly reacted oddly to whatever Dustin had said.

            “I told El your parents were never home,” Dustin whispered to the point Steve nearly didn’t hear.

            Steve blinked once, then twice. Was that it? He looked at Dustin and then glanced at the four kids in the back. They all looked guilty and nervous.

            “Okay?”

            They all stared at him with startled expressions.

            “Steve, this is serious,” Lucas pressed, leaning forward over Max to put his head next to Steve. “What if someone takes you away?”

            “I’ll be fine,” Steve shrugged. “I’ll be nineteen in a month anyways, so I don’t see the problem.”

            “But I told a cop your parents basically abandoned you,” Dustin suddenly wailed. “They can still take you away!”

            Steve sighed and quickly pulled over, angering the people behind him.

            “Listen,” Steve turned so he could see all the kids. “Do you really think Hopper is going to just send me to a foster home after everything we’ve been through? I’m also a legal adult, do you really think he would send me away?”

            Mike was the first to shake his head, but even he had that look of worry in his eyes. The others slowly shook their heads too, but the doubt was clear.

            “I’ll talk to Hopper,” Steve promised. “It’ll be fine.”

            The kids didn’t look like they believed him. And though he wouldn’t say it out loud, Steve didn’t believe himself either.

            After dropping the kids at their respective homes, Steve was not at all surprised to see Hopper’s police cruiser in front of his house. Hopper just stared at Steve as the younger invited him inside.

            “I take it the kids told you about our conversation yesterday?” Hopper began as they both sat at the table.

            “The kids think you’re going to try and send me to a foster home,” Steve said.

            Hopper blinked, looking rather startled by that suggestion. “Why would they think that?”

            Steve sighed, hanging his head and running a hand through his hair. If the kids could figure it out, then Hopper definitely could. And Steve watched as that moment of realization crossed the man’s face.

            “How long?” Hopper asked.

            “It started with just weekend trips while I was in elementary school,” Steve shrugged. “By high school, I was always alone.”

            Hopper leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face.

            “But that’s not what you were here to talk to me about,” Steve stated the obvious.

            Hopper nodded, regarding the house a little differently now. “Kid,” he began, then sighed heavily. “You should have said something.”

            “And what?” Steve suddenly got defensive. “Get sent off to child services and leave Hawkins. You wouldn’t have even looked twice at me hadn’t it been for the dumb Mind-Flayer thing.”

            Hopper suddenly went rigid, clutching at the table fiercely. It took Steve a moment, but he hung his head. He knew it was uncalled for.

            “Sorry.”

            “Don’t,” Hopper sighed, putting a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Don’t apologize kid. Because you’re probably right. I wouldn’t have given you a second thought.”

            Steve chuckled dryly. “We were different people two years ago.”

            “Feels longer,” Hopper grunted in annoyance. “Little frustrating.”

            Steve just chuckled and moved to make coffee. He didn’t particularly like coffee, but he knew Hopper did. Hopper just seemed lost in thought as Steve shuffled about the kitchen. And the cop didn’t stir from those thoughts until Steve plopped the mug in front of him.

            “So what can I do for you, Chief?” Steve hummed as he sat back in his chair.

            Hopper chuckled, as he took a sip of his coffee. “Actually, there might be something you can do for Jane.”

            Steve cocked his head at the name of Hopper’s daughter. As far as Steve knew, Doctor Owens had said to wait a year. Honestly, Steve had no idea what to do about these words. He’d hardly even talked to El, let alone seen her. Everything he’d heard of came from the kids.

            “What can I do?” Steve asked again.

            Hopper motioned to the big, empty house. “Your place is bigger than the cabin,” he said. “And with your parents never here, it would be perfect for her to come and enjoy some place other than a stuffy old cabin.”

            Ah. Steve saw where this was going. “Sure,” he nodded. “Bring her by anytime. She can even spend the night if she wants. Mike told me you don’t always make it home every night.”

            Hopper grimaced, knowing full well that Mike and El talked over the radio. Sometimes too much. But he nodded anyways.

            “Actually, she’s here now,” Hopper said and motioned to where his car was.

            Steve blinked in surprise but found himself nodding. That was all Hopper needed as he quickly went to retrieve El. There she was, standing in his kitchen with a look of awe. Steve forgot that the last time El was here, she had been extremely tired and focused on her friends. This was probably the first time she was really seeing the house.

            “I hope you don’t mind if she spends the night tonight?” Hopper gave him a look that said there was no arguments. “I’ve got to go to a police seminar a couple towns over and I didn’t want her to be alone for the next two days.”

            “She’ll be fine,” Steve assured. “The Party is coming over after school anyways.”

            El’s face lit up like Christmas as she stared at Steve excitedly.

            Steve put a finger to his lips. “Let’s keep it our secret till they show up tomorrow.”

            El nodded vigorously as Steve got up and got her a cookie. He made them for tomorrow, but he could always make more later. Hopper carefully bid El goodbye, giving her a set of instructions, before he was gone. El glanced nervously at Steve, clearly unsure what to do.

            “Well,” Steve looked over towards the alarm he had set downstairs for when Will showed up. “We got time before we need to make dinner. How about a movie? You can pick.”

            El nodded timidly and followed Steve to the living room. Of course, she chose _Star Wars_. Probably because the others talked about it so much. They managed to watch the entire trilogy that night before they finally fell asleep. And El got to try homemade waffle’s for dinner.

            “And why are you all moody?” Steve reached back from the driver’s seat to pat Mike’s knee.

            “El said she had a surprise for him but wouldn’t be able to tell him until they saw each other again,” Dustin instantly piped up.

            “Shut up,” Mike hissed.

            Steve just laughed. “Cheer up, Wheeler,” he said with a grin. “I’m sure you’ll see her sooner than you think.”

            “We’re only allowed to see El on Wednesday,” Will pointed out. “We’ve got five days till we can see her.”

            Steve just grinned at them, saying no more as they pulled up to the house. Needless to say, the kids’ reactions to seeing El watching Ghostbusters in the living room was priceless. Max even punched Steve in the arm for not telling them. Steve laughed and went to retrieve snacks.

            “Remember,” Steve said strictly. “None of our resident couples are allowed to wander off on their own, especially not to a bedroom. And if you make a mess, you clean it up.”

            With a chorus of “Okay Steve”, said boy went off to figure out what to make the bunch of kids who were all trying to help El create a character at once. With all their Wednesday visits, Steve was honestly surprised they hadn’t already made her a character.

            He decides on fried chicken with vegetables and a surprise stack of Eggos for dessert. The hard part was keeping it hidden from El before they finish their dinner. By the time everything was ready, El had finally gotten a character created.

            And Steve listened intently as they all talked about El’s new character and how that character would help on their quests. Of course, El loved the Eggos.

            Much to the kids protest, Steve would not let any of the other kids stay the night. He did, however, pull Will aside and promise that the boy could come over if his nightmare got out of control. Will just sent a relieved smile to Steve and went out to Jonathan’s car. Steve and El were left on their own.

            “Wanna watch cheesy soap operas?” Steve asked.

            El just grinned.

            Hopper arrived late the next day to find El fast asleep in the guest room. A warm expression passed on his face as he nodded at Steve. Steve just got him coffee, neither wanting to disturb the younger girl. As the two sat in silence, Hopper nearly jumped as a knock appeared on the door. Steve had Will in his arms by the time Hopper managed to slow his breathing.

            “You got a preference?” Steve asked as he moved to open the fridge.

            “Soup,” Will sniffed, running his sleeve under his nose.

            “Soup it is,” Steve smiled. “Hop, can you call Joyce and let her know Will came here again.”

            Hopper, clearly not knowing of the agreement between Joyce and Steve, blinked in surprise before going to find a phone. El came downstairs not long after Steve started the soup. Both Will and El sat on the kitchen counter and watched as Steve finished the soup.

            “How long has this been going on?” Hopper asked as he came back into the room.

            “A few weeks, maybe a month and a half,” Steve shrugged. “It’s normal now.”

            Will took the offered bowl eagerly, tears still pouring down his face. “What was it this time?”

            “The Mind-Flayer,” Will muttered softly.

            Steve nodded and wiped away Will’s tears. “It’s okay,” Steve hummed softly. “You’ll be alright. I promise.”

            Will let out a chocked sob, letting Steve remove the bowl from his hands so that Steve could wrap him in a hug. El leaned in too, wrapping her arms around Will.

            “It was going to kill everyone,” Will sobbed harder, clutching at Steve’s shirt. “Everyone was going to die. And it was going to be my fault.”

            “Hey,” Steve gripped Will tighter. “No. You would never. You managed to fight it Will, remember? You managed to fight and let us know you were still there. You managed to survive, Will.”

            “What if I can’t do it again?” Will gasped through pained breaths. “What if everyone dies?”

            “Then we’ll fight,” Steve stated back, pulling away just enough for Will to meet his eyes. “Always. I promise you that.”

            Will nodded, the tears coming to a slow stop as he leaned further into Steve.

            “My fault?”

            Will and Steve whipped their heads towards El so fast, both were surprised they didn’t have whiplash. Then again, they may actually have whiplash. They were just to surprised by El’s comment to feel the pain.

            “What?” Steve breathed, clearly startled.

            “The gate,” El sobbed suddenly. “I opened it. I put Will in danger.”

            “No!” Will shook his head frantically and reached to grip Will’s hand. “It’s not your fault. That thing used you. You couldn’t have known.”

            Steve suddenly scoffed. “Said the pot to the kettle.”

            Will stared at Steve with a glare as El watched the two in confusion.

            “It’s a saying,” Steve said as he pulled both El and Will in for a hug. “It means someone tells you one thing and then that same person turns around and does the very thing they told you not to do.”

            “Pot to the kettle,” El muttered, testing it on her tongue.

            Will was still glaring. “How is this the same thing?”

            Steve grinned at Will, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Simple,” he said. “El blames herself for the gate opening and you and Barb getting taken even though the Mind-Flayer used her. And you blame yourself for getting possessed and watching all those scientists and Bob get killed even though the Mind-Flayer used you. Neither of you were in control of your actions at the time.” Steve shrugged. “Same thing. Now eat your soup.”

            Hopper watched the interaction with an odd fascination. He had heard that Steve was good with the kids, had often thought about getting Steve to babysit El at the cabin, but he had never seen Steve in action. It was very different from the partier Hopper had seen barely two years ago. A good different.

            “You want any, Chief?” Steve asked as he filled a third bowl with soup.

            “Sure, Harrington,” Hopper smiled softly. “As long as it’s good.”

            “I will have you know,” Steve scoffed, spinning towards Hopper and waving the ladle in Hopper’s face. “I am an excellent cook. Just ask the kids.”

            The kids just smile as they shook their heads. Steve spent the next ten minutes berating the kids for lying, jokingly of course. And if Hopper finished his soup in less than those ten minutes, he didn’t say anything. Hopper woke up in the Harrington’s recliner the next morning with static on the television. Looking towards the couch, El and Will were each fast asleep, tucked into Steve’s sides. A sight that just seemed so natural.

            Of course, the moment was ruined by four kids banging on the door the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be honest with you guys. I have no set update schedule. However, chapters 1-17 are technically written and just need to be edited and posted. There will be around 40 chapters for this story. But that may vary.


	4. A Scare Far Too Great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the people in his life, silence still haunts Steve. And yet, there may just be a solution. If only it hadn't come like this.

            The thing was, even though Steve had kids at his house almost all the time, it still felt like the silence was suffocating him. At the nights when there wasn’t a child in the house, Steve would lie awake and stare at the ceiling. Sometimes it felt like he couldn’t breathe. When there weren’t kids at his house during the day, Steve would do whatever he could to stay away from the house. What he really needed was for someone to be in the house with him. He needed someone to live with. He wanted to hear breathing (or snoring) at night. He wanted the comfort of knowing someone else was in his house. Even if they weren’t there all the time, he still wanted the comfort of knowing that there was someone who would always come back. He wanted that reassurance that the silence wasn’t permanent. And one day, he got it, in the worst scare he could ever imagine.

\--------------------------

            Homework, Steve decided, was extremely frustrating. Before the kids, he hardly tried and didn’t care much about his grades. But the kids had found out and tried to help with far too much of his homework. The kids pressuring him turned out to be the right incentive for him to actually get things done.

            Of course, none of them were there at the moment as they all had other things to do. It was one of the rare Sunday’s when there was absolutely no one Steve could spend time with unless he felt like going back to his old ways. He shivered at that thought. It was definitely something he was trying to put behind him.

            And because he was supposed to be alone today, Steve did not expect anyone to knock on his door. At the first knock, Steve thought he was hallucinating. It happened sometimes when the silence was too great, hearing things that weren’t really there. But then it came again, frantic and desperate. Pushing his homework aside, Steve went to open his front door.

            He really wished he hadn’t.

            “Mike?”

            Standing in front of him was Mike Wheeler. A very bruised and bloodied Mike Wheeler with a little Holly Wheeler in his arms. A sobbing Holly Wheeler. Jammed into a bush was clearly Mike’s bike, but it was almost fully swallowed by the bush, so Steve almost didn’t catch it. Steve didn’t have much time to ponder the situation because Mike suddenly fell forward into Steve’s surprised arms. And Holly started to wail.

            “Hey,” Steve quickly shifted Holly and Mike in his arms. He had to fight back ever-growing panic as he realized Mike was unconscious. “It’s okay Holly. Mike is going to be okay. But I need you to help me, okay?”

            Holly let’s herself stop wailing at Steve’s words. But she still sniffed and sobbed. She clutched onto Mike’s shirt, clearly terrified of whatever happened. And Mike still hadn’t stirred.

            “Can you help me fix Mike?” Steve asked softly.

            Holly nodded, letting Steve put her down.

            “Okay,” Steve smiled as he shifted Mike again. “We’re going to put Mike on the couch first. And then we’ll fix him right up.”

            Holly nodded, letting go of Mike’s shirt so Steve could stand. The fact that Mike let out a cry of pain was not helping the situation at all. But Steve got Mike to the couch, surrounding the boy in pillows as Holly latched back onto Mike’s shirt.

            There were a lot of things Steve decided to teach himself after the second Demogorgon attack. Such as basic first aid, and even beyond that. Never had Steve been so grateful for that decision. Mike definitely had a black eye. It didn’t take a genius to see that. But there were other things Steve had to hunt for. Like the scraped and bleeding elbow. Like the long cut on Mike’s knee. Like the obvious concussion he had. Like the fact that at least two of Mike’s ribs were broken.

            “Okay Holly,” Steve turned to the still crying child. “I’m going to go get things to help Mike. Can you stay here and watch him? Let me know if he wakes up?

            Holly nodded with a sniff, burying her head in her brother’s shoulder. Racing to the bathroom, Steve gave himself a moment to let the realization sink in. Mike was hurt and unconscious on his couch, and he couldn’t call anyone about it. Joyce and Will were out of town for something, Steve couldn’t remember. Max’s parents were actually home. Lucas was seeing a movie with his family. Dustin was spending time with his mom. Hopper and Jane were supposed to be busy. And Jonathan and Nancy were on a date a few towns over.

            He couldn’t call the Wheeler’s either. Because he was fairly positive he knew who did this to Mike.

            Treating Mike was a complete blur for Steve. He remembered grabbing the medical supplies, but he couldn’t remember going to the living room. He remembered getting the supplies out, but he couldn’t remember treating Mike’s wounds. He remembered talking to Holly, but he couldn’t remember what he said. Mike was still unconscious when he finished treating and bandaging most of the wounds. Holly was on his hip, eating an Eggo as Steve dugs\ around for some frozen steak to put on Mike’s eye. He knew he had some somewhere. He just bought it, and the kids hadn’t been over to eat it yet. He’d just found the steak when a noise came from the living room.

            It was a pained grunt, then a cry, and then silence. Then a whisper.

            “Holly?”

            “Hey,” Steve was by the couch, gently pushing Mike down so he wouldn’t jostle his ribs. “Hey, you’re okay. It’s okay. Holly is okay.”

            Mike began to sob as Steve places the steak over his eye. The sobs were so clearly causing Mike pain, but it was also very clearly not something Mike could just stop. Steve didn’t press for answers. Not with Mike sobbing himself into more pain and Holly asleep on his shoulder. Steve settled for running a hand through Mike’s hair.

            “They’ve argued before,” Mike began, still gasping in between sobs. “Just words, you know? I didn’t think anything of it.”

            Mike began to sob harder and Steve just shushed him gently. Because Mike was in all sorts of pain. He regretted not grabbing pain killers, but Mike didn’t seem to notice the pain coming from his broken ribs. Just kept sobbing and talking.

            “Then dad hit mom,” Mike chocked. “She didn’t react at first. Then she hit him back and it just kept going. I just wanted to stop it.”

            “It’s okay,” Steve was whispering softly, leaning closer let the boy know he was there. “Everything is going to be okay.”

            “I just wanted to stop it,” Mike repeated. “But dad accidently hit me in the eye. Mom was furious and tried to shove me away. I scraped my elbow and landed on some glass.” Steve winced, instantly checking for any glass shards. “I tried again, but then I got shoved against a counter. Something broke, I know it did.”

            “And then you got Holly out,” Steve finished. “You were brave Mike. You were so brave.”

            “My head hurts,” Mike sniffled, his eyes beginning to drupe.

            “No Mike,” Steve shook the younger gently. “You’ve got to stay awake buddy. Remember what happened to me with Billy. You’ve got to stay awake.”

            “Don’t want to,” Mike murmured.

            “I know,” Steve whispered, setting Holly in the recliner with a couch cushion. “But you need to. Tell me about Dungeons and Dragons. What do you have planned for the campaign?”

            Mike hummed and began to wildly tell Steve about his plans. Steve kept encouraging, slipping out once to get water and painkillers for Mike and a blanket for Holly. But the campaign was coming to an end. And Steve still wasn’t sure who to call.

            “Okay,” Steve said as Mike finished explaining the campaign. “I want you to tell me about-”

            A knock on the door was all it took to wake Mike up. The boy began to shake in fear, and Steve carefully clutched Mike’s arm to look the boy dead in the eyes.

            “I won’t let them touch you,” he promised as the knock came frantically.

            Only this time, it was accompanied by a voice.

            “Steve!” Dustin’s voice rang muffled through the door. “Steve! Code red! Code red!”

            Mike was still shaking, but there was some relief in those dilated pupils that let Steve relax just a little. Holly, thankfully, was still curled up and asleep on he recliner. Giving Mike’s arm a reassuring squeeze, Steve went to confront Dustin, who was still banging on the door. Steve was surprised to look outside and see it was suddenly dark. And that Dustin was in tears.

            “Mike’s gone!” Dustin cried. “And so is Holly! Nancy got home from a date with Jonathan and Mrs. Wheeler was sobbing and Mr. Wheeler was gone! And Nancy knew something happened!”

            Steve didn’t let Dustin say anything else as he pulled the boy in for a hug, rocking him back and forth on the porch.

            “Radio the others to come here and then come inside,” Steve instructed. “But only after you’ve radioed everyone. I’ll explain when everyone gets here.”

            Holly was awake now, sitting by Mike and petting his arm as she spoke about nonsense things. And that was probably what Mike needed in the moment, a distraction from the truth. Steve took his place on the ground, going back to running his hand through Mike’s hair. There were silent tears falling from Mike’s eyes.

            Dustin didn’t know what to say when he walked in after radioing the others to see Mike bandaged on the couch. He just sank beside Steve, tears of his own falling down his face. Max showed up next, her step-brother close behind. Steve didn’t say anything, didn’t acknowledge Billy as he enters the living room, but Billy was clearly disturbed by the state Mike was in. He left before the others got there. Max was sobbing into Steve’s back the moment Billy left. The Sinclair family showed up next, Claudia Henderson with them. Mrs. Sinclair was quick to shield Erica’s eyes as Lucas escaped his father’s grasp to get to his friend. The Byers show up next, with Nancy and Chief Hopper with them. Which meant Steve needed to explain.

            “It got physical,” Steve starts. “And Mike wanted to stop it.”

            “Ah, kid,” Hopper breathed, moving to check over Mike.

            “Concussion,” Steve said. “Scraped elbow, gashed knee, black eye, and potentially broken ribs.”

            Hopper nodded, checking everything that Steve said. But the broken ribs had Hopper hesitant.

            “Is he going to be okay, Hop?” Joyce asked softly.

            “I’m no Doctor,” Hopper shook his head. “But I think he will be fine eventually. He will definitely need a Doctor, though.”

            “No!” Mike screamed. “They’ll call them! They’ll have to come! They’ll take me back! I can’t go back!”

            “Hey,” Steve moved to his knees and placed a hand on Mike’s chest, keeping the boy from thrashing. “We won’t make you go back, okay? You can stay here. Or you can go with the Byers. Or the Sinclairs. Or the Hendersons. But you don’t have to go back.”

            “Moving him would be a bad idea,” Hopper muttered, looking over Mike’s ribs again. “Without a doctor, we can’t know the extent of the damage.”

            “No doctors,” Mike shook his head, wincing at the motion.

            Steve wanted to argue, just wanted Mike to be better. But Mike was also shaking in such fear that he couldn’t put Mike through that. Not now. Nancy was sitting where Dustin had been, the boy now standing in his mother’s embrace. She was crying too, staring at her baby brother with tears in his eyes.

            “He can stay here,” Steve insisted, meeting Hopper’s gaze. “I’ll watch over him, make sure he’s alright. I swear.”

            Hopper nodded. “I know you will kid,” he stated honestly. “There isn’t anyone I trust with these kids more than you.”

            He turned to Nancy next, knowing this would need to involve her more than anything.

            “You can stay if you want,” Steve offered softly. “Or you can go to the Byers. Or Jonathan can stay too. I don’t really mind. Everyone can just have a sleepover in the living room if it makes them feel better. I don’t really care.”

            Steve had to stop himself because he knew he was rambling. But Nancy just let out a watery laugh.

            “I want to stay with my brother,” Nancy laughed weakly. “And I want Jonathan to stay too.”

            He wondered when it happened. When Nancy being with Jonathan stopped bothering him. Perhaps it was now, in this moment. Because Mike needed them to be friendly with each other right now. So Steve just grinned and nodded to both.

            “I’m staying too,” Dustin stated firmly.

            “Dusty,” Mrs. Henderson tried to protest.

            “It’s alright,” Steve shrugged. “Mike needs his friends now more than ever. Like I said, we can all just camp in the living room.”

            Mike had started shaking again, his head trembling in Steve’s hand and Holly was clutching onto Mike’s arm. He was sobbing again, begging for Nancy. Nancy had never looked more terrified and confused in her life.

            “Nancy is here,” Steve whispered, pulling her closer to Mike. “See, Nancy is here too. She’s safe. Holly is safe. _You’re_ safe.”

            “I don’t want to go back,” Mike sobbed.

            “You don’t have to,” Steve assures softly. “You can stay here. You’ll be safe here. They won’t touch you.”

            “Promise?”

            And Steve smiled softly at that, because this he could do.

            “Promise.”

            After much persuasion and when Mike finally drifted off, most of the adults left. Jonathan and Nancy were curled up on the love seat, fast asleep. Hopper had taken the recliner again. And Joyce was on a mattress Steve dragged downstairs, carefully protecting Holly. The kids, including El, were curled up in front of the couch where Mike could reach them. Steve didn’t sleep that night, just watched as the group slept and calmed Mike when he would cry in his sleep.

            Neither Ted or Karen Wheeler show up on his doorstep, though he wishes they would. He wishes they would so he can tell them off. Berate them for ruining a wonderful son. He wanted nothing more than to tell them off because Mike wouldn’t be able to move for weeks. Wouldn’t be able to do things properly for months after.

            “Up,” a voice broke Steve’s thoughts.

            Holly was standing in front of him, very much awake and with a kind smile on her face. Steve chuckled, smiling genuinely for the first time since he promised to protect Mike.

            “What do we say?” he pressed gently.

            “Can you pick me up please?”

            Steve gladly obliged, picking the girl up and wandering them both into the kitchen. He decided on breakfast casserole with Eggos, not sure what Mike could eat yet. Mike may just need to eat yogurt. But he tried to make the casserole soft so Mike could eat it without hurting himself. Holly seemed content with eating the Eggos Steve handed her as he cooked.

            “Need any help?” Joyce asked softly as she padded into the kitchen.

            “I’m almost done,” Steve hummed as he put the last layer of cheese on the casserole. “But could you put a few more Eggos in the toaster. I think Holly might eat them all before El wakes up.”

            Joyce was quick to start more Eggos as Steve shoved the casserole in the oven. It was a Monday, they were supposed to be at school. And there was no way Steve was letting Mike go anywhere today. Which meant the kids would want to be by his side. He would need to talk to Hopper.

            “They can stay here for the day,” Steve hummed. “The kids. I figured they’ll want to be at Mike’s side.”

            “Are you sure?” Joyce asked, turning to look Steve dead on. “About all of this? About keeping Mike here?”

            There was no hesitation. No remorse. No regret. He was completely sure as the word tumbled from his lips. He just hoped his answer was sincere enough to appease Joyce.

            “Yes.”

            Joyce seemed concerned, but she relaxed slightly.

            “I mean,” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “I won’t be here all the time, but I figured, you or Hopper, or even Mrs. Henderson or the Sinclairs can come check on him. El can stay somedays if she wants. But he came here because he needed help, and he trusted me to help him. I don’t want to let him down.”

            “You’ve done a good job so far,” Hopper came up next to Joyce. “And I think we’d all be glad to take turns caring for Mike.”

            Steve smiled, glad to see the two important adults in his life trusted him. Joyce had finally relaxed at the idea of keeping Mike here, and Hopper seemed relatively okay with the idea of letting El look after Mike, though reluctant as he was.

            “The schools,” Joyce suddenly gasped. “Someone needs to let the schools know.”

            Hopper was on his way to the phone before Joyce had stopped talking. Nancy and Jonathan wandered into the kitchen as Hopper was explaining Mike’s situation to the principle.

            “Thank you,” Nancy spoke a little shakily. “For taking care of him.”

            Steve chuckled. “At this point, I think I’d die for those kids.”

            Nancy laughed, but it was dry, as if he made a joke. They both knew it wasn’t a joke. A stifled cry prevented them from saying anything else.

            “It hurts,” Mike gasped in pain as Steve raced back into the living room. The kids all looked startled and horrified, and El looked like crying. “It hurts.”

            “I know buddy,” Steve said quickly as he shifted Mike up a little. “We’re going to take pain killers okay. They’ll help.” Steve whipped to Dustin. “Freezer, Raw steak. Now.”

            Dustin was clearly confused by the request, staring at Steve as if he grew two heads. But Max understood. She was back with a raw steak the moment Mike had taken his pills.

            “We’ve got to keep this here,” Steve insisted at Mike’s odd look. “It’ll help your black eye.”

            “He’s right kid,” Hopper sank down beside Steve. “It’ll help. Do you trust Steve?”

            Mike nodded, letting Steve touch the steak to his eye.

            “You’ll be okay, buddy,” Steve insisted as another tear fell from the boy’s eyes. “You’ll be okay.”

            “Promise?”

            “Promise.”

            The casserole was done quickly, and the kids were all eating in the living room as the adults whispered in the kitchen. Holly, thankfully, had curled up on the recliner again after eating all those Eggos.

            “What about Holly?” Joyce asked. “I mean, I could try to take care of her.”

            “No,” Steve shook his head. “You’ve got too much to do already. I can get her to daycare. I’ll look after them both.”

            “Are you sure,” Nancy asked shakily.

            Nancy was never very good with kids. Even her younger sister. Steve knew the moment the topic was brought up that Nancy would not be fully comfortable with looking after Holly. Even if there were other people there.

            “Yeah,” he nodded. “She and Mike will both be okay here. I promise.”

            “Steve, honey,” Joyce stepped forward. “Taking care of kids can be a lot of work. They can be trying and difficult. Are you sure your up for it?”

            Steve found himself nodding without any thought. Maybe he would regret it. Maybe this would be too hard for him. But hey, a bunch of kids had dragged him into some tunnels with a concussion and he had handled that pretty well. He also took care of Mike and his friends on a regular basis. Holly would be the most trying problem, but it wasn’t one Steve thought he couldn’t handle. He’d managed to handle her in a state of panic, and he’d seen her tantrums when he dated Nancy. He would be fine.

            “Yes,” Steve nodded again. “I can handle it.”

            “Right,” Hopper said. “If this gets worse then we take him to a hospital. No but’s.”

            “Wasn’t planning on it,” Steve shrugged, glancing back to where the kids were excitedly chatting in the living room.

            They weren’t doctors, none of them. They could diagnose whatever they wanted, and it still wouldn’t be enough. But Mike would be fine. And Holly would be fine. Steve swore he would make sure of that.

            Nancy and Jonathan swung back later that night, both lugging boxes and suitcases. Steve didn’t need to ask to know what they were. He simply motioned to two of the guest rooms and let them place the respective stuff in the respective rooms. And the relief in Mike’s eyes when Steve set the D&D board in the living room made Steve’s heart swell. Because Mike was safe. One of his kids was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy another chapter.


	5. Trials and Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike's still hurt, Holly has the most bizzare tantrums, and Steve is second guessing his life choices.

            It had been a very long two weeks for Steve as he got used to the fact that he had two kids living in his home. He’d honestly been debating getting a mini-van after adding Holly to the mix with her car seat on his drop off runs, but it hadn’t happened yet. The Sinclairs and Mrs. Henderson had both been kind enough to check up on Mike halfway through each day. And they even babysat Holly on days when he had basketball practice or a project.

            But there were things Steve was starting to notice, things that scared him almost as much as when Mike collapsed into his arms at his door. When he got home one afternoon, he certainly didn’t expect to see El in tears curled up in the kitchen. She had been taking care of Mike today. And this was not something Steve knew how to handle.

            He got El in front of the TV with a large stack of Eggos and hot chocolate before climbing the stairs to the guest room where they had moved Mike. The boy was staring at the ceiling, eyes glazed over. Steve sighed, carefully sinking onto the bed and running circles into Mike shoulder with his thumb.

            “Hey buddy,” Steve hummed, watching as Mike slowly looked at him. “El’s really upset. Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

            A tear fell down Mike’s cheek as he clenched his eyes shut. “I hate this.”

            “I know Mike,” Steve hummed back. “I know. I’m sorry.”

            “No!” Mike snapped, glaring at Steve as tears fell down his face. “You don’t know! You don’t have to be stuck here with no idea what is wrong with you! You don’t have to be afraid of your parents finding you!”

            Steve didn’t say anything, just kept running circles in Mike’s shoulder. Waiting.

            “You don’t feel useless!” Mike screamed. “Like you’ll never be able to move again! Like you’re an idiot who should have minded their own business!”

            And Mike began to sob, gasping in pain as his chest jerked about. Mike hadn’t been able to move at all in the last two weeks and being left alone had really caused Mike to get lost in his thoughts. A change Steve hated.

            “I’m sorry,” Mike sobbed.

            Steve shook his head, grateful that the Sinclairs had Holly today. Steve quickly wrapped his arms under Mike and gently lifted the boy up. Mike gasped in pain for a moment before slowly letting his cries become whimpers.

            “El!” Steve bellowed. “Get the door!”

            El raced to the door, wiping her tears as she followed the two to the car. She sat by Mike in the back of the car as they began to dry. And El hid as they pulled into the police station.

            “Wait here,” Steve instructed firmly.

            Five minutes later and Steve and Chief Hopper were climbing into the car and they were speeding off.

            “Please don’t,” Mike breathed, his tears brimming in his eyes. “Please.”

            “You need help Mike,” Steve stated firmly. “And we’ve already made plans for this. No questions. Just treatment.”

            Hopper nodded, reaching back to squeeze Mike’s knee. “I’ve got an old buddy at the hospital who’s agreed to let Steve and I be your reference and guardians. We were going to wait to see if you got better before we went.”

            Mike was shaking in the seat, but El was leaning into his good leg, offering some comfort as she curled around him. A stretcher me them as they pulled into the hospital, and the three were asked to wait as Mike went in for x-rays. Steve took the time to make some phone calls.

            The first was to the Byers home and Nancy to let them know what was up with Mike. The second was to the Sinclairs to tell them about the change in plans with Holly. To drop the little girl off with the Byers. And the third was to the school, letting them know he would be absent for a few days.

            El seemed skittish, sitting in the hospital room with all the smells and similarities to the lab. But they couldn’t keep the girl in the car because this may take too long. Hopper had a hate for hospitals too, probably to do with his daughter. But Steve couldn’t blame either for being skittish as he bounced his leg as they waited in a closed office to keep El hidden. The three jumped up as the doctor friend entered the room.

            “The leg and elbow wound will be fine,” the man jumped straight to the point. “The concussion wasn’t serious and is basically gone. But his ribs are definitely broken and moving should be restricted. I’m going to prescribe some painkillers and some other pills to help his ribs heal. But he won’t be able to move much.”

            Steve nodded as Hopper went to talk with the Doctor. Grasping El’s hand, Steve led them both to Mike’s room.

            “See,” Steve chuckled as Mike’s head snapped towards him. “No questions asked.”

            Mike nodded, smiling softly at them both.

            “They’re going to keep you over night,” Steve hummed. “Hopper, El and I will be here all night.”

            “What about Holly?” Mike asked, eyes wide.

            “With the Byers,” Steve hummed. “She’s fine.”

            They slept the night in the hospital. Well, most of them. Steve sat awake that night, watching Mike to make sure he was okay. But even if he was healing physically, there were still things no one else seemed to notice. And if they did notice them, then none of them spoke about it.

            Mike was sitting up now with the help of a brace, carefully laying on the couch as they watched television. All the kids were scattered on the ground watching _Star Wars_ as Holly played with some of her dolls. Steve, of course, was finishing dinner.

            “We should do a mock campaign,” Dustin suddenly spoke. “Since you can’t really do a campaign right now, we should make one for you.”

            Mike looked startled as Steve walked into the room, balancing several plates.

            “You don’t have to do that,” Mike quickly pressed, looking at each of his friends.

            “I think it would be cool,” Max piped up. “We wouldn’t be as good as you, but it would be less stress on you, wouldn’t it?”

            Mike looked torn as he stared as his eager group of friends.

            “Come on, Mike,” Lucas said. “We know you like being DM but that doesn’t mean you can be stressing yourself out all the time.”

            “I guess,” Mike muttered.

            The fact that the kid couldn’t see it really bothered Steve as he placed the plates in front of each of them. He made sure to do Mike last, sitting next to the boy on the couch.

            “They’re doing this because they care about you,” Steve smiled softly. “Let them be your hero for once.”

            Mike seemed hesitant but nodded as Steve pulled away. Steve smiled brighter as he heard Mike consent to letting the others plan a campaign.

            The next week, the other five came over with a mock campaign that had Mike laughing so hard he was crying. Steve was chuckling along too at some of the more outrageous things the five had come up with. It really was a terrible campaign, and nothing like the things Mike planned, but Mike was happy.

            “Eggos?” Holly asked as Steve made lunch.

            “Those are breakfast and dessert, sweetie,” Steve smiled down at the younger.

            “Eggos!” Holly demanded again. “I want Eggos!”

            That was another thing Steve was getting used to. Holly’s tantrums. As the younger girl began to scream, Steve ran a hand through his hair and picked the screaming child up.

            “Or you could have no Eggos,” Steve said instantly. “Then El and you would both be sad.”

            Holly screamed out a “no” as she shook her head. And Steve sighed again, handing the still screaming girl a sandwich she threw. Joyce had told him that getting angry at a child could only make a tantrum work. But it was really hard not to freak out with a screaming and squirming child in his arms.

            “No Eggos?” Steve turned to see El with wide eyes.

            And Steve groaned as he was clearly stuck. Raising children was way harder than he thought. And Holly was throwing more sandwiches. At this point, Steve was beyond annoyed and shoved a sandwich in Holly’s mouth.

            “For dinner,” Steve told El. “Dessert. But Holly may not get any if she doesn’t calm down.”

            Holly was chewing now, still crying as she pulled the sandwich. “It’s so good,” Holly sobbed as she took another bight.

            And Steve laughed far too hard at that as Holly ate another bite of her sandwich.

            “Is it good,” he asked softly. “Is it a good sandwich?”

            “Yes,” Holly wailed.

            And Steve laughed a bit harder as the kids took in the odd sight before them.

\-------------------

            “You look tired,” Nancy hummed to Steve the a few days later at school. “You look really tired.”

            “Your sister has the most bizarre tantrums,” Steve chuckled softly.

            Nancy pursed her lips, clearly unsure what to say. But the way Steve said it was fond. Very fond and peaceful.

            “Mike’s back at school today,” Steve kept talking. “Hopper’s Doctor friend agreed it was okay to try. So we are trying.”

            “And if he can’t?” Nancy asked nervously.

            Steve smiled softly. “Then the middle school knows to call me.” Steve chuckled again. “Hopper has some good connections.”

            Nancy seemed relieved, watching Steve with warm eyes. Sometimes, like times like this, it hurt to be around Nancy. But he pushed that feeling away, smiled, and grabbed his stuff from his locker. He sent a grin to Jonathan as the guy came up to them, a timid smile being sent back.

            “You look tired,” Jonathan hummed.

            And Steve chuckled, sharing a smile with Nancy as the warning bell rang out. The rest of the day was pretty slow after. Steve took notes the way Dustin and Lucas showed him too, he talked with Nancy and Jonathan. Everything was alright until lunch when a custodian came and got Steve. Steve was at the middle school in seconds.

            Mike was shaking, clearly in pain as he released pained gasps of air. The nurse was clearly worried and just as useless as most school nurses were in major situations. All Steve had to do was lift the back of Mike’s shirt to see the giant and ever-growing bruise. The worst part was, Mike couldn’t lay down. Lying on his back would both the bruise and lying on his stomach would jostle his ribs.

            “It’s okay,” Steve whispered softly as he pulled Mike close. “You’re okay buddy.”

            “I was getting better,” Mike said back softly. “I was getting better and Troy just had to make it worse.”

            The principle walking into the room with a strained smile offered no comfort to Steve in that moment. Steve had heard the name “Troy” so many times in a negative light with the kids that Steve honestly was thinking of homicide. Especially now.

            “Unless the kid who did this is being expelled or suspended for a few months, I don’t want to hear it,” Steve snapped, glaring at the principle.

            “Mr. Harrington,” the principle’s voice was strained.

            “I suggest,” Steve’s voice was cool. “That you rethink whatever decision you’ve made. Just because the parents are “generous donners” doesn’t mean their child gets off free. And from what I’ve heard, this isn’t the first time this kid has got off scot free.”

            The principle is pursing his lips now, clearly wanting to argue.

            “How much are they paying you?” Steve pressed, watching the principle’s face become pale. “Because believe me, I’ve been in Troy’s position before and I know how easily the school takes bribes.”

            Steve didn’t meet Mike’s gaze. Didn’t say anything to address the boy leaning into his side as he stiffened. Steve only stared at the principle, his gaze testy.

            “I wonder what the town would say when they learn that you aren’t treating their children fairly?”

            The principle visibly gulped and quickly left the room with the assurance that he would handle the situation. Steve still wouldn’t look at Mike, couldn’t even watch as the boy remained stiff in his side. And slowly, Steve began to pull his hand away. Reminding himself of the person he had been was also a reminder that Steve didn’t deserve the kids.

            But Mike grabbed his hand before it could fully let him go. And Steve felt himself breathe again as Mike relaxed into his side.

            “You’re a good person, Steve,” Mike hummed out, going back to shaking in pain.

            Steve just hummed back, a hum that became a laugh the moment that Steve heard yelling from down the hall.

\-----------------------

            “Alright! Alright!” Steve clapped, getting the kids attention. “Holly is asleep, and you kids need to tone it down. I don’t have a basement that’s sound proof.”

            The kids gave a chorus of hums as Mike lowered his voice. Steve, quite honestly, was exhausted as he sank onto the couch as the party played D&D. It had been a long few weeks trying to help Mike and take care of Holly. Thankfully, Mike was getting better and Troy had been suspended. Holly was still her child like self with tantrums and everything. And it was all just so exhausting. The kids are talking excitedly, but he can’t bother to find out about what. And slowly, he just drifts off.

            “Steve,” a soft voice coaxes him awake. “Steve, come on honey.”

            Steve’s eyes cracked open and he suddenly realized just how terrible he felt. He wondered how long that had been going on. Joyce Byers was in front of him, watching him worriedly. Even Chief Hopper was sitting there with the kids, all of them staring at Steve. Steve just let out a groan.

            “You’re okay, sweetie,” Joyce cooed. “You’ve just got a little cold.”

            That explained a lot. He’d been tired for a few days now and being sick was a great explanation. He thought it was because he was taking care of two kids. Suddenly, there was a bowl of soup and some pills shoved in his face by Nancy and Jonathan.

            “Hi,” Steve hums, grabbing the objects.

            Nancy and Jonathan just look worried. They all look worried.

            “Eat you soup, sweetie,” Joyce pressed softly. “Then you can sleep.”

            Steve honestly wasn’t sure if he ate that soup or not. But he was vaguely aware of being in and out of sleep. Not that he could bring himself to care either. He was just so tired. When he finally reached full consciousness again, Mike was sprawled on the love seat, fast asleep, and Holly was singing a song off tune as she sat beside him.

            “Stevie!” Holly cried happily as she noticed him staring.

            Mike jolted, clearly not having been asleep, and quickly ran over to Steve. He grinned as Steve tried to sit up.

            “How do you feel?” Mike asked, perching on the floor.

            “Like I haven’t slept in days,” Steve muttered.

            Mike frowned a bit, but he just nodded and reached for some pills.

            “You’ve been asleep for a few days,” Mike said. “I had to convince Mrs. Byers that I could take care of you.”

            And Steve stared at Mike, watching him carefully.

            “Guess you did a good job,” Steve smiled at Mike and ruffled his hair.

            Yeah, guess they would just have to take care of each other from now on. Not that he minded. It was nice for the silence to finally be gone from his house. It was nice to know there was someone there.

            Holly continued to sing her little song that made no sense and Mike simply bounced around, doing homework as Steve slept a bit more. Yeah, Steve could get used to the lack of silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my favorite chapter, but it shows a bit of the growth of Steve's relationship with his kids.


	6. A Different Kind Of Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is something extremely important that is supposed to happen today. If only Steve could remember what that thing was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post anything today, but then I finished writing up to chapter 18 and finished editing up to chapter 10, so I figured I might as well.

            Do you ever just have those days where you feel like you are forgetting something important? Because that was how Steve felt when he woke up that Thursday. And the fact that Mike was giving him an odd look as he made breakfast was not helping. Steve racked his brain, even let his gaze drift about in order to find an answer to this nagging feeling. He couldn’t come up with an answer.

            “What?” Steve asked incredulously.

            Mike blinked, staring at Steve a bit harder. “Are you okay?”

            “Yeah?” Steve questioned wearily. “Why?”

            Mike shrugged, clearly still baffled as he turned back to Holly. Holly just sat, munching on Eggos as if she were the most innocent thing in the world. And honestly, Steve could tolerate that expression. But now he knew he was forgetting something, and it was beyond agonizing him now.

            “I feel like I’m forgetting something,” Steve admitted suddenly. “Something important.”

            Mike was grinning now, almost holding back a laugh. And if that wasn’t suspicious, Steve wasn’t sure what to think of that grin. But Mike was being no help, only stating that he needed to call Nancy, and suddenly leaving the table. Steve just sighed and went to eat his own food. Mike didn’t return to finish breakfast, so Steve cleaned up quickly as he kept an eye on the clock.

            “Let’s go Wheeler!” Steve called into the house with Holly on his hip. “School still exists.”

            “I’m coming!” Mike’s voice snapped back.

            Steve ruffled the boy’s hair as he grumbled past, the three of them racing to the car. They had to leave earlier than any of them would have liked so that Steve could check Holly into the daycare. The daycare lady, it seemed, was filled in by Chief Hopper and had chased Karen Wheeler away a few times. Something Steve was grateful for. But of course, that meant school and picking up a very chattery Dustin. Much to Steve’s confusion though, Dustin muttered in a hushed tone as they shared a knowing smirk. And Steve was not in that “know”.

            “Hey,” Jonathan hummed, making Steve jump in surprise.

            “We really need to give you a bell or something,” Steve winced as he caught his breath. “You can’t keep sneaking up on people. It isn’t nice.”

            Jonathan just chuckled, seemingly studying Steve for a moment.

            “You alright?” Jonathan asked, almost cautiously.

            Steve shrugged as he slammed his locker shut. “You are the second person to ask me that today.”

            The bell rang shortly after that, leaving no room for discussion. But Steve certainly didn’t miss the look of amusement on Jonathan’s face as he left for class. The rest of the day was just “off”. Like there was something very crucial that Steve was forgetting. Not that Steve could figure it out.

            “Mr. Harrington,” his English teacher, Mrs. Howard, called out. “Would you please see me after class.”

            There were snickers around the room, but Steve couldn’t bring himself to care. The bell rang almost instantly, and his classmates were racing out of the class room in seconds.

            “Are you alright, Steve?” Mrs. Howard asked as Steve approached her desk. “You’ve been acting rather odd today.”

            Steve bit his lip, looking his teacher over before releasing a sigh. “Do you ever just feel like you have forgotten something important?”

            His teacher seemed to relax. “That happens sometimes,” she hummed softly. “Try thinking of other things. Sometimes when you aren’t trying to think of something, that memory will come back.”

            Steve nodded, taking another deep sigh before preparing to leave. Except, there was a paper being shoved in front of him. A paper that made Steve bulk. Before him was an essay he had written recently for an assignment. It was the first essay he had ever turned in on time. His name was printed clearly on the page, and a grade Steve thought impossible was printed next to it.

            “You’re doing far better,” Mrs. Howard said as Steve carefully took the paper and stared at the “B” printed on the page. “I don’t know what it is that’s changed your attitude, but you’ve done a marvelous job.”

            Steve blinked again at the page, thinking it a dream. Yet the letter grade still stared back at him, along with the grade printed beside it. He laughed, not entirely sure why, but he laughed. Mrs. Howard seemed a bit relieved as she took the paper back.

            “You’ll get it back tomorrow with everyone else,” Mrs. Howard informed as she put it away. “Have a good day, Mr. Harrington.”

            Steve was pretty much the last person in the school by the time he finished his things. Which meant Mike’s glare was definitely deserved as Steve walked to his car.

            “We’re going to be late,” Mike huffed angrily.

            And now Steve was definitely confused.

            “We have to go to the Byers,” Mike tapped his head. “Remember? That’s what you forgot?”

            Steve was nearly a hundred percent certain that was not what he had forgotten. But he decided to go with it. Perhaps a visit to the Byers’ house would take his mind off things. He hummed along to the radio as they picked up Holly and gradually made their way to the Byers’ house. Holly was laughing as she raced to the house, a sight that made Steve smile. But Mike was suddenly dragging him towards the house with a lot of force that Steve knew Mike shouldn’t use. He caught Mike quickly to stop him.

            “Hey, hey hey,” Steve stopped Mike’s tugging. “I’m going. But you need to stop stressing yourself like this. You’re not fully healed yet.”

            Mike sighed and nodded. Will, to Steve surprise and horror, was home alone. The boy already seemed a bit shaken and Steve apologized several times over. Will just smiled back and leaned into his touch.

            “Why didn’t you tell me we were watching Will?” Steve cornered Mike as Will entertained Holly.

            “I thought you would remember,” Mike hissed back.

            Steve ran a hand through his hair and turned away from Mike. He didn’t believe, no, he knew Joyce hadn’t asked him to watch Will. But Mike was so sure that Steve was doubting his own thoughts. Steve just sank into a kitchen chair and buried his face in his hands. He had begun to wonder if kids drove parents insane.

            If he had cared to look up, he would have seen the worried looks Mike and Will were shooting him. If he had cared to listen, he would have barely made out their hushed whispers. But his mind was racing with what he could possibly be forgetting.

            Before he knew it, Mike was tapping his shoulder, telling him they needed to go home.

            “I want to stay at your house tonight,” Will explained, giving puppy eyes Steve couldn’t refuse.

            “Come on,” Steve sighed, quickly preparing to lock up the house.

            Mike and Will exchanged odd looks but went prepared to leave. With the house safely locked and Holly on his hip, Steve set off for his house. Not for the first time, Steve thought about getting a mini-van. With so many kids around all the time, it made sense that he would need to get a better vehicle. Before he knew it, he was home and the two boys were racing for the door. Steve just sighed, running a hand through his hair. With a sigh, Steve pulled Holly out of the car and followed the two boys into the dark house.

            “Surprise!”

            Steve had to stager back as the loud noise reached his ears and the lights were flicked on. He gaped at the scene before him, of the people he cared for all jumping out from behind furniture, a stack of presents sitting under a banner.

            “Happy Birthday Steve,” Joyce reached up and pulled him into a hug.

            And Steve couldn’t help but laugh as El and Max carried a rather large cake into the room with bright grins lighting up their features.

            “I can’t believe I forgot my birthday,” Steve laughed harder.

            “Neither can we,” Dustin tackled him. “But it gave us the perfect chance to throw you a surprise party.”

            And Steve laughed again, pulling all of his kids close in a tight hug. The party itself was a blur of cake, games, and wrapping paper. And his favorite gift by far was the supercom that the kids all pitched in to buy. But even with the birthday celebration, there was still one more thing Steve wanted to do.

            However, that would have to wait as Steve found himself waking up the next morning with a large dog pile of kids surrounding him. The steady breaths of the kids were a wonderful change from the silence that used to greet Steve in the morning. By the sound of whispered grumbling, Steve knew that Joyce and Hopper were in the kitchen. Jonathan and Nancy were curled up on the couch, sleeping peacefully. And Holly was sitting up, fiddling with his hair as she muttered about nonsense.

            With a sigh, Steve settled back to sleep for just a bit longer.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

            The day after the party saw Mike and Holly at the Byers house with Steve claiming he had business to do until late. Which was odd, because with Karen Wheeler still popping up at odd times, Mike knew Steve wouldn’t leave them alone without reason.

            “So he’s acting weird,” Nancy brushed it off.

            “He’s been acting weird,” Mike shot back. “Something’s bothering him, and he won’t talk to any of us about it.”

            “What do you want me to do about it?” Nancy huffed, spinning on her brother.

            “I don’t know!” Mike threw his hands in the air. “Just something. He clearly doesn’t want to address a bunch of kids, and he has no friends in school anymore because of Billy. And you just threw him on the ground like he was dirt. The least you could do is make sure he’s okay!”

            Nancy didn’t say anything, just glared at Mike. And Mike glared right back. This was the sight Steve saw when he entered the Byers’ house.

            “Alright,” Steve put his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Enough fighting. Let’s go. Unless you want to spend the night.”

            “Let’s just go,” Mike grumbled, already making for the door.

            No one in the Byers’ house would make eye contact with Steve as he picked up Holly and headed for the door. Steve shot them all an odd look, clearly confused, but he walked to the door after Mike. Mike was already in the passenger seat when Steve got there. Flipping through a manila folder Steve had left sitting out.

            “What the heck is this!” Mike brandished the folder wildly.

            “What does it look like?” Steve quipped back.

            Mike frowned opening the manila folder again and then looking up at Steve. “You’re trying to become a foster parent?”

            Steve hummed as he pulled out of the Byers’ drive way. Mike was clutching the folder, still unsure of what he was holding. He glanced over at Steve with worried eyes. Steve, for his part, had a soft smile on his face as he cast a glance at Mike.

            “Someone needs to find a way to take care of you,” Steve hummed softly. “Especially if Karen and Ted mess up again.”

            Now Mike was bulking.

            “What?” he breathed out.

            Steve just smiled, ruffling Mike’s hair before making a turn towards his house. This had definitely been a different sort of day. But there was no better way Steve could think to spend his nineteenth birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this special update. With Thanksgiving break over, updates will not be everyday. It will be when I have time. Just a heads up.


	7. Confronting In Public Settings Are Frowned Upon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few run-ins with Karen Wheeler are not okay.

            He knew it was inevitable. Knew that they would run into each other eventually. But he had hoped it would be in a far more private setting. But here, with Karen Wheeler standing in front of him in a grocery store, he was completely losing it. Not that it wasn’t unprovoked. He had started out kind and patient. Karen Wheeler was just pushing every button he had. So he finally snapped. In public. In a grocery store. With several witnesses. But let’s start at the beginning.

\------------------------------

            Dropping Holly off at daycare had gone without a hitch. Picking her up, that was another matter. He had only just signed her out when Karen Wheeler stormed into the room. The manager was quick to race out and begin to berate Karen. Karen only had eyes for Steve.

            “What are you doing with my daughter?” Karen snapped darkly, making sure to get in Steve’s face.

            Steve, for his part, kept Holly out of Karen’s reach as the little girl began to sob.

            “Taking care of your daughter,” Steve stated simply.

            Karen scowled. “You?” she scoffed. “You’re just my daughter’s dead-beat ex-boyfriend.”

            Steve did his best not to wince as those words. But it was rather hard as it felt like someone was digging into an old wound. The manager had managed to spin Karen around to berate her. And Steve used the opportunity to get out of there. He went straight to the Byers house with Holly still sobbing in the back seat.

            “Mike,” he called into the house. “We need to go, now!”

            Mike frowned, ready to protest, but Steve’s sharp gaze made him shut his mouth. Joyce was in front of him in seconds. Steve hadn’t even realized he was shaking as he Joyce carefully grasped his wrist. Steve had to take a deep breath as Joyce tugged him forward.

            “What’s wrong, sweet heart?” she tried to lead Steve inside.

            “Karen Wheeler,” Steve bit, watching as Mike froze and began to shake. “She tried to get Holly from the daycare.”

            They were on their way back to Steve’s after that. And Joyce called them to let them know that Karen had showed up. Nancy had berated her.

            The next confrontation was after school the next day in the parking lot. Steve was waiting by his car, three of the six kids supposed to be with him that day. It was as those three kids were coming towards him that he saw her. Mike saw her too. As did Dustin and Max.

            Max was the first to react, quickly dragging both her friends over to where Steve was waiting. Which meant Karen was suddenly in Steve’s face once more as the three clambered into Steve’s car.

            “Steve,” Karen greeted coldly.

            “Good afternoon, Mrs. Wheeler,” Steve hummed softly. “Can I help you?”

            “What are you doing with my son?”

            Steve held his ground. He had fought monsters for crying out loud, he couldn’t let an angry, abusive mother scare him.

            “Babysitting,” Steve stated flatly. “Mike, Max, Dustin, and Lucas are planning a surprise campaign for Will. It’s Lucas’ turn to distract Will.”

            Which was in fact the truth. Mike was eager to get back to doing campaigns after weeks of the terrible campaign’s the kids had done. And Will had been sick recently. A normal cold, much to everyone’s relief. To cheer up both Mike and Will, the other four had recommended Mike make a campaign.

            “And why couldn’t this be done at my house?” Karen hissed.

            “I think you know why,” Steve shot began with more confidence than he actually felt. “If you don’t mind, I need to go get Holly.”

            Karen looked like she wanted to say more. Looked like she wanted to lash out at Steve right then and there. She didn’t get the chance.

            “Is there a problem here?” Hopper’s voice was a relief to Steve’s ears.

            Karen scowled, turning to Hopper to probably call Steve out on something. But Hopper had clearly directed the question at Steve.

            “I certainly hope not,” Steve said. “See you around, Chief.”

            They honestly couldn’t get out of that parking lot soon enough. And Steve spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Holly as Max and Dustin tried to distract Mike.

            Mike didn’t go to school the next day. Not that Steve could blame him. Steve and Holly didn’t leave the house either. But there was no sign of Karen Wheeler, and it was suddenly Friday before any of them could process the day’s passing. And Steve needed to go shopping if they were going to have anything to eat for the next week.

            Of course, this was when he had to run into Karen Wheeler for the third time.

            “Steve,” she bit as she cornered him in the fruit section. A very open, very terrible place to start a fight.

            “Good morning Mrs. Wheeler,” Steve tried for polite, offering a kind smile.

            Karen just scowled at him.

            “Can I just,” Steve motioned to the bag of apples that Karen currently stood in front of.

            Karen didn’t budge. With a sigh, Steve decided to move on. But Karen didn’t seem to like that either. Her hand suddenly slammed down on the cart, causing the cart to stop and the groceries to shift. Steve, for his part, took a deep breath to keep calm as he hoped the eggs weren’t broken. He also did his best to ignore the people staring at them.

            “I understand you’ve been looking after my children,” she drawled out slowly.

            Steve shrugged. “I normally babysit the kids anyways,” he said casually. “Mike’s just been having an extended sleepover.”

            “What?” Karen pressed angrily. “You’ve just been taking _such_ good care of him?”

            “Yes, I am,” Steve said flatly.

            Karen just growled. “So losing Nancy broke you,” she snapped rather loudly. “So to get her back you are just trying to buddy up with her siblings! Good job Steve! You’ve done such a wonderful job of that! I bet my daughter will just come racing back to you!”

            And this is where Steve snapped. He yanked the cart out of Karen’s grasp and got dead in her face.

            “First of all,” Steve growled, as Karen stood her ground. “Nancy isn’t an object. She made her choice and I have come to terms with that. You would do best to remember that your daughter isn’t something you can control. Second: yes, I watch Mike and his friends out of the goodness of my heart because Joyce Byers trusts me to watch after her son, as do most of the kids’ parents. Third: if you had actually cared about any of your children, you would have noticed that they have night terrors and that the events with Will actually hurt them more than you ever noticed. And finally: the kids came to me because I understood. I was there when Will came back, and I was there when Barb was killed. They came to me because I understood, and they could trust me, not because I dated Nancy. In case you hadn’t noticed, Mike couldn’t even stand me when I dated his sister.”

            “And you think you can do a better job at raising my own children than me?” Karen yelled angrily.

            “Well at least I didn’t beat your son to a bloody pulp!”

            The entire grocery store suddenly got very quiet. And Steve was far to livid to care. Leaving the cart and the groceries, Steve quickly left the grocery store and jumped in his car. He didn’t know where he was driving too, but at this point, he didn’t care. He wasn’t even sure when he got out of his car, but he was suddenly sitting on he cliff dropping into the quarry. It was late afternoon when he finally went to get Mike and Holly. Of course, Chief Hopper was sitting there, waiting.

            “You are insane,” Hopper jabbed a finger in Steve’s chest.

            “I’m well aware,” Steve grumbled back. “How badly did I mess up?”

            Hopper chuckled, patting Steve on the back and sitting him down. Holly was crawling into Steve’s lap the moment Steve had sat down. The kids were clearly in Will’s room, their loud voices ringing out from the back of the house. Joyce was placing a mug of hot chocolate in front of him before she joined them in sitting down.

            “Other than ruining the Wheeler’s perfect reputation,” Hopper began, “nothing will change. You can still look after Mike and Holly.”

            Steve released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. But it was a sweet relief to know he could still look after his kids.

            “Can we go home now, Steve?” Holly looked up at him. “I left my teddy bear at home.”

            And that surprised Steve more than it should have. Because Holly’s teddy bear was at Steve’s house. Which meant Holly thought of Steve’s house as her home. And she had hardly been there for two months.

            “You’ve got to get Mike away from his friends first,” Steve said.

            Holly quickly raced to the back and started screaming at Mike, making Steve laugh. And the kids were suddenly all in front of Steve, asking to go to Steve’s house. Mike, apparently, had let it slip that Steve was making something different tonight.

\--------------------------------------

            “Harrington,” Billy appeared next to Steve in the parking lot a few days after the event.

            “Hargrove,” Steve greeted back.

            Billy threw his cigarette bud on the ground, stomping it out with his foot. It was silent for a long time. Neither Steve nor Billy had made a move to talk to each other since that day at school months ago. Not since the night after Billy beat him up.

            “Heard you had a fight with Karen Wheeler,” Billy hummed after a moment.

            Steve didn’t say anything, just tensed at Billy’s side. Billy didn’t say anything else either. And the moment the bell rang to signal the middle school was done, Billy was gone. Mike was clearly nervous as he walked with his friends to Steve’s car. Of course, Steve had made sure to sweep the parking lot to make sure Karen wasn’t in sight. But even he was tense as Mike quickly scrambled into Steve’s car. This was there routine now constantly waiting for Karen Wheeler to show up and explode at Steve once more. It was becoming a problem, and Mike’s nightmares were a mix between Demodogs and his own parents. Which is why Steve had made dinner plans.

            “You sure you’ll be okay?” Mike asked as Steve dropped Holly and Mike off at the Byers’ house.

            “I’ll be fine,” Steve insisted softly. “Go have fun. I’ll be back later tonight.”

            Mike’s expression was as skeptical as Steve felt. But there wasn’t time for that. Steve stared at the small fast food joint known as Benny’s. He honestly wasn’t sure who had taken over after Benny Hammond died, but he knew they were some sort of relative. Walking into Benny’s, Steve nearly bolted as his eyes landed on Karen Wheeler in a booth. But that was exactly who he came to see. Slowly, he slid into the chair opposite her, her glare making him shiver. A few feet away sat Billy Hargrove, a presence Steve wasn’t sure how to feel about.

            “I want my children back,” Karen got straight to the point. “If you keep them from me, I will get the police involved.”

            “In case you haven’t noticed,” Steve began slowly. “Hopper is currently on my side. And we can talk about you seeing your kids if you are willing to cooperate.”

            “They are my kids!” Karen snapped.

            “And can you promise me none of them will end up like Mike did,” Steve asked calmly. “Can you promise me that they won’t be beaten once they get home?”

            “It was an accident,” Karen hissed.

            “We took your son to the hospital,” Steve said calmly. “That wasn’t an accident.”

            “You had no right!” Karen snapped.

            And Steve released a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look,” he began. “We can do this one of two ways. The first is you continue to be hostile and end up in jail for child abuse. The second is you let me offer a suggestion and we talk like civilized people.”

            Karen scowled but motioned Steve to continue. And Steve released another breath to prepare himself.

            “Give them time,” Steve stated, holding up his hand before Karen could protest. “Give them space and time to recover. And then, when they calm down a little, have a dinner. Do a family thing to try and bond again. We can see where things go from there.”

            “And what makes you think you know what is best for my kids?” Karen spat, clearly still hostile.

            Steve needed to remember to thank their waitress. At that moment, Karen schooled her expression and asked for their order. And Steve had never been so grateful for a distraction as he ordered his food and the waitress left.

            “I don’t,” Steve answered her question. “I honestly don’t know your kids that well. But I know Mike is afraid of going home right now. I’ve seen Will’s panic attacks; can you imagine Mike going through the same thing just because he went home?”

            That seemed to hit Karen hard as she looked away. There food was eaten in a painful silence. Neither said much else as they ate and Karen thought.

            “Fine,” Karen hummed as she finished. “But I expect my kids to return for a dinner before the year is out.”

            Steve nodded, feeling himself breathe properly for the first time since the dinner started. With a breath of relief, Steve watched as Karen left. And Steve made sure that he heavily tipped the waitress before he left.

            “If I ever have to do that again,” Steve sank onto the Byers couch after he returned. “Then one of you is going to be there with me.”

            “What did she say,” Nancy pressed as the group crowded around him.

            Steve ran a hand through his hair and began to discuss the conversation. As he expected, Mike and Nancy weren’t happy by the agreement, but Joyce got them to see reason. That night, Mike, Steve, and Holly slept on Steve’s couch, all huddled close as they slept in order to chase away the nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be my last update for a few days. Not sure because I'm still writing chapters and editing.


	8. Mending Ties and Forming Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are different now, and Steve is still trying to figure out the old with the new. But the new just keeps coming, and the old refuses to be forgotten.
> 
> A bit of a look into Steve's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than I like writing, but I started with one idea and it slowly shifted to something else that made the story so much better.

            Steve glared down at the check in his hand as he stood at his locker. It had become easier to forget that his parents didn’t care with the kids around, but the check in his hand was a painful reminder of the truth he had hidden from the rest of Hawkins. Maybe even the world. He had waited to open it until he got to school, not wanting questions from Mike or Holly. Slamming the check in his dashboard, Steve got out of his car and walked into the school, already in a bad mood. So seeing Jonathan’s camera get snatched by Tommy H. when he walked in the door did not help things.

            “Trying to take more pictures, Byers,” Tommy taunted as he tossed the camera in the air a couple of times.

            Jonathan did nothing but stare in terror as his most prized possession was under threat of being destroyed. Again. But the third time Tommy threw the camera in the air, Steve’s hand thrust out and grabbed it before Tommy could even touch it. Steve’s free hand quickly had Jonathan’s arm in his grasp and was dragging Jonathan along before anyone could process what happened.

            “You should probably hold on to this,” Steve handed the camera back to Jonathan before parting from the other boy.

            The rest of school found Steve overly focused on anything and everything his teachers had to say, ignoring anyone who talked to him, and disappearing at lunch. But word had definitely gotten out that Steve Harrington had defended the creep; Jonathan Byers. Which had proved something no one thought still a thing. Steve Harrington still had influence over the school. Suddenly, people were talking to Jonathan and treating him like a person. Which thoroughly confused both Jonathan and Nancy to no end.

            As for Steve, he did his best to focus on anything, but the lingering reminder currently jammed in his dashboard. By the end of classes, Steve was running out of distractions. His only distraction left was basketball. The kids had all insisted they come to the practice, cheering him on whenever they could. And this time Jonathan and Nancy joined the kids too.

            “Hey Harrington,” one of his team mates teased. Someone clearly friends with Tommy. “Heard you defended Byers today. Going soft?”

            “Back off,” Steve hissed. “Leave Jonathan alone.”

            There was a taunting laugh from Tommy’s group. “What,” Tommy mocked. “Do you care about the Byers’ now.”

            “I think,” Steve snapped, quickly getting in Tommy’s face. “That the Byers’ have been through enough. So back off.”

            If Steve had cared to look, he would have seen Jonathan’s surprised expression. If he had looked, he would have seen the varying degrees of emotion on the kids’ faces. If he had looked, he would have seen Nancy purse her lips and grip Jonathan’s hand tighter. If he had looked, he would have seen Billy Hargrove approach the group.

            “Oh!” Tommy grinned eagerly. “Not only do you care about the creep, but you care about the fairy too!”

            “Of course he does,” Billy’s voice came off rather bored. “Where have you been these last few months? Steve’s been protecting the youngest Byers’ since the kid’s kidnapper came back.”

            Steve was beyond startled at this and quickly glanced towards the others. But the entire gym had gone silent at Billy’s statement.

            “That is what happened right?” Billy cocked his head at Steve. “That night I went to get my step sister. You were trying to protect the kids from whoever kidnapped Will the first time around.”

            And Steve just sort of nodded. Because it wasn’t technically wrong, and a lot of people had been questioning Steve’s sudden closeness to the kid. It wasn’t the whole story, but it was pretty close to the truth. He just wondered how Billy came to that conclusion. He decided to blame the nail bat.

            “I imagine looking into the eyes of a man who kidnaps kids and fakes their deaths must really draw people together,” Billy shrugged.

            And as soon as the words seemed to sink in, Billy had snagged the ball from one of the players and slammed into someone else’s chest.

            “Now are we going to play or what?” Billy taunted as he took the ball back again.

            Taking several of the kids home that afternoon was unnaturally silent. And with four kids squished in the back with a car seat, Steve once more considered getting a mini-van. He technically had the money. And at this point, he honestly could care less about his reputation.

            “Are you okay?” Dustin suddenly asked. “You’ve been really off today.”

            Steve was silent for a moment, his gaze quickly shifting towards the glove compartment. But he didn’t let it linger.

            “I’m thinking of getting a mini-van,” Steve hummed. “Cause there are so many of you kids.”

            The four older kids frowned as Holly clapped. Sometimes Steve wished the kids were all Holly’s age so that they weren’t so perceptive. He ignored their stares and just kept talking.

            “I mean, my reputation is already shot too,” he shrugged. “It would just be easier for everyone.”

            He hadn’t even realized he’d done it. But he came to the conclusion he must have cast one to many glances as Max began to dig inside his glove compartment. She let out a startled gasp as she pulled out the check and stared at the total. The boys were already unbuckled and ignoring Steve’s shouts as the leaned over the chairs to see.

            “Dude!” Dustin gaped. “Are you loaded?”

            Steve visibly winced and said nothing as he pulled up to Max’s house. He quickly snatched the check and shoved it into the glove compartment, not daring to meet the kids’ eyes. It was silent for a long time as they sat in front of the Hargrove’s yard.

            “Steve?” Holly’s soft voice broke the tension and the silence. “Can we go home now?”

            Steve took a big, shaky breath before bidding Max goodbye and Dustin jumped into the front seat. No one said anything as the rest of the kids were taken home. A least, not until it was just him, Mike, and Holly.

            “What is this, Steve,” Mike carefully pulls the check back out.

            “An apology,” Steve growled more than he meant too. _“Sorry we couldn’t come home, Steve. Wish we could be there. Not really. Have a good time son.”_

            Mike was silent in the car, but when they got home, Mike locked Steve in the fiercest hug Steve had ever been given. And Steve hugged just as fiercely back.

\---------------------

            School the next day was somewhat better, but he had cashed the check and he could just feel the weight of his debit card increase in his pocket. Much to Steve’s surprise and annoyance, Tommy H. leaned against the locker near Steve’s. Steve just scoffed and moved to open his locker.

            “Well, well ,well,” Tommy teased eagerly. “Look what we have here. The wash-out King of Hawkins.”

            Steve said nothing, quickly grabbing his things and moving away from Tommy. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone but his kids. But Tommy wasn’t giving up so easily.

            “Is Steve all alone?” Tommy taunted. “Got a little gift from mommy and daddy.”

            Steve just kept walking, until he was thrown back into the lockers. Someone screamed, a girl who was at her locker near Steve’s own. Steve’s head rang as he was slammed into the locker again, he felt a cry leave his lips. A fist was quickly connecting with his face too, repeatedly. Then there was relief as someone ripped Tommy off of him and someone else was kneeling at his side. Steve blinked the fuzz out of his eyes.

            Someone, the principal, Steve realized, was yelling at Tommy and demanding he go to the office. The loud voices made Steve’s head ring. But then someone was trying to get him to stand, and it took a moment for him to register that Nancy was trying to talk to him and Jonathan was half carrying him away.

            And the only thing Steve could comprehend was how terrible his week had been. He lost a few hours, he must have, because Mike was suddenly by his side and Hopper was talking to the nurse. He lost a few more hours because he woke up in a hospital.

            “Did I seriously get another concussion?” Steve sighed, making the people scattered around the room rush to his side. “Because that would suck.”

            Steve only had a mild concussion, and much to Mike’s joy, they spent the week at Hopper’s cabin. Steve just enjoyed the times when he could sleep. It wasn’t as easy with two kids in his own house and a third showing up at odd hours. Going back to school was hard, his head still felt like lead and he had a ton of make-up work.

            “You okay?” Nancy asked, keeping her voice soft.

            “As I can be,” Steve hummed. “I’ll see you later.”

            He didn’t see Nancy at school the rest of the day, or Jonathan for that matter. But they were waiting on his porch when he got home with Mike and Holly.

            “We brought food,” Jonathan awkwardly raised a casserole. And Steve laughed as he invited them in.

            There were conversations all night long, and Steve figured this was the closest to a family dinner he would ever get. And after a terrible week, it was nice to be with friends. And that was another thought that Steve had to process. When did he start considering Jonathan and Nancy his friends?

            “Wait,” Jonathan’s voice pulled Steve from his thoughts. “Steve can cook.”

            “Yeah,” Mike nodded. “He’s really good at it.”

            “This I’ve got to see,” Jonathan grinned.

            Steve laughed. “Maybe another time. I have make-up work to do.”

            As they talked, the weight of his debit card slowly vanished. And the following week was much better. It was an unspoken thing, as many things were. The nerds of Hawkins Middle were under Steve’s protection. Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve were all friends. Billy Hargrove and Steve Harrington had a truce.

            These were all simple truths that slowly settled into place as the weeks went on. And the people of Hawkins were left to wonder how these ties had formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't actually going to update today because I wasn't sure I would have time. So enjoy this little surprise for both you and me.


	9. A Cooking Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve really can cook. It comes with being lonely and silence. But the greatest joy Steve finds is when he gets the chance to cook for others, especially those he loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days, the amount of chapters I have written will dictate when I post. But it is not this day.

            As it turned out, Jonathan was serious about trying Steve’s cooking. Which is how Steve now had one small child, six middle schoolers, two teens a year younger than him, and two adults who were obviously in love but wouldn’t say anything, in his house. As he cooks. Not that he minds because there are now enough people in the house that the sound doesn’t vibrate through the walls and there definitely isn’t any silence. Steve’s found he doesn’t mind a lot of things lately.

            But getting back on track, with a large crowd of more than just six kids, Steve had debated for two days what to make before he decided on an old Chili recipe and cornbread. Since the kids had most of his cooking whenever they came over, he decided he needed to do something different, something he hadn’t done in a while.

            “Are you sure you don’t need help,” Joyce appeared just seconds after Steve had started the Chili.

            Grinning, Steve reached into the fridge and tossed Joyce a beer. “You can help me get rid of that.”

            Joyce just smiled, that wary smile that came from fighting monsters. It was normal, something Steve hated more than anything to see on anyone in their odd group. Dustin had researched PTSD after the second attack. The symptoms never really go away. People always give them odd looks, wondering what happened to the odd group, but here, with just them, everything was perfect. Because one of them could get that far off look, they could flinch away from shadows or a person’s touch, they could scream after waking from nightmares. Because when it was just them, there was always someone who understood and no one to judge.

            Half way through cooking, there was a second incident of someone in his kitchen. Steve quickly approached Max and carried her back to the living room before she could find the cookies Mike and Holly had seen him hide earlier. He should of known they would try to pull something.

            “Seriously?” Steve glared at the six kids, specifically Mike, who had been there when he bought the cookies. “That was your plan?”

            “Max is better at sneaking around than the rest of us,” Dustin blurted out.

            “Shut up,” was the chorus Steve was greeted with as he walked back into the kitchen. And properly hid the cookies.

            This, however, did not stop the six teens attempts to get to the cookies. It started with Max sneaking back into the kitchen and ruffling around in the pantry, Steve pretending not to notice. She glared at him when she found them gone, and Steve just grinned back. Realizing she had been caught, she scampered back into the living room.

            Their next tactic was El, using her powers to shift around the cabinets for the cookies. Steve didn’t have to do anything for that one because Hopper stopped that tactic the moment he saw blood on her nose. The corn bread went into the oven at that point.

            The third tactic was Holly. She just stared at him for a moment, and Steve pretended not to see the six teens watching from around the corner.

            “Can I have a cookie?” Holly asked softly.

            Steve smiled and lifted her up, leaning to her ear so he could whisper.

            “I’ve got cake for after dinner,” he whispers into her ear, knowing the Party couldn’t hear. “But you have to keep it a secret. If you eat all your dinner and don’t tell the others, then you can have the first slice.”

            “Really?” Holly gasped in a loud whisper.

            Steve nodded as he set her back down. “But after dinner, okay?”

            “Okay!” Holly grinned excitedly and raced off.

            There were audible groans from the Party before Joyce began to reprimand them. And by this time, both the chili and corn bread were ready. Because this was Jonathan’s idea, Steve made Jonathan take the first bite. The moment the spoon was in Jonathan’s mouth, the kids were digging in and then everyone else was eating and laughing. And Steve has never seen Holly eat so quickly, but cake was exciting.

            And bringing out his homemade cake had everyone else excited too.

\----------------------------------

            That was not the last incident either where Steve found himself cooking for others. The second time Steve found himself cooking for others (outside of Mike, Holly, and the Party on Friday’s) was when Dustin’s mother got sick. Dustin, Steve had determined when he let the Party help _once_ , was a terrible cook. So, Steve, Mike, and Holly soon showed up on the Henderson’s doorstep with a large pot of soup.

            “Thank you, Stevie,” Mrs. Henderson smiles before breaking into a coughing fit.

            “Anything for you Mrs. Henderson,” Steve beamed as he placed a tray in front of her. “I’m just going to check on the kids really quick. Try to eat something.”

            He was gone for maybe ten minutes, helping Dustin clean up the mess he had made when he had tried to cook. Then making sure that all three kids ate something. When he came back, Mrs. Henderson had eaten all the soup, looking extremely content.

            “Thank you dear,” Mrs. Henderson beamed as Steve cleaned up the mess. “That was wonderful. Give my compliments to the chef.”

            “I appreciate the sentiment,” Steve beamed with pride as he left the room.

            Picking Dustin up for school the next day had the younger boy talking about how his mother was surprised by Steve’s cooking and hoping he would bring more. Steve just laughed and said he planned to bring more food that night. This kept going until Mrs. Henderson was better.

\-------------------------------------

            The call came that afternoon, desperate from Lucas. His parents had plans to throw a party, but both of them had to work late. Which meant no food and, apparently, angry party guests. And Lucas, the golden child he was, had promised he would get someone to take care of it. Enlisting the help of Mike, Jonathan, Nancy, and Will; Steve worked to get food ready for the Sinclair’s party as quickly as he could.

            They finished five minutes after the party had started, and Lucas had them sneak around the back door to deliver it. Lucas’ father was up for a promotion at work, a huge step forward for their family, and everything needed to be perfect. Which is why Lucas had desperately requested Steve’s help.

            “You are a life saver,” Lucas sighed as Steve delicately finished arranging the table for a business dinner. “I don’t know what to do to thank you.”

            “Eat,” Steve said simply as he pushed Lucas back into the living room to get the guests. Then he turned to Erica, who was giving him an odd look. “What?”

            “How do I know you didn’t poison it,” Erica quipped.

            “If I was going to poison you,” Steve began, a cheeky smile on his face. “It would have been through chocolate cake. As it happens, I made vanilla too.”

            Steve and his cooking entourage were gone before the guests could walk into the room. It was a few days before Steve heard anything about how the dinner went. And when he did, the Sinclair’s came and addressed him personally.

            “We can’t thank you enough,” Mrs. Sinclair cooed as Steve worked on a quiche. “The food was excellent.”

            Steve just grinned. “How did the promotion go?”

            The Sinclair’s ended up staying for dinner that night as they gushed about the opportunities the job would bring and how a man of color got the position. And it ended with the Sinclair’s praising his cooking and Mike collapsing with a headache because “they’re sweet but they talk to much about each other.”

            Steve threw that comment back by bringing up El.

\-------------------------------------

            It was no secret that the Byers weren’t that financially well off. But no one really seemed to notice how bad off the family really was. At least, not until Steve ended up at the Byers house to babysit the kids as they watched a movie. There were phases for Will’s PTSD. Sometimes, like at midnight, he needed to be anywhere but his home, and other times where he just needed someone at home with him. This was time was the latter of the two cases. As Steve worked on homework in the kitchen, the other five kids had all curled around Will and Holly took a nap in Joyce’s room.

            Steve had started to look around the kitchen, needing a break from his current work. And he suddenly found himself frowning. Most homes had food scattered about, waiting to be taken. But the Byers’ kitchen just seemed barren of essential foods that seemed to be in everyone’s houses. He wasn’t sure why this caught his attention, though it may have had to do with the fact he was working on a nutrition paper for health, but it was almost alarming.

            Thinking back on it, Steve thought about how much Will would eat whenever they would spend nights cooking and eating food as they watched reruns of old shows. It was a lot, quite alarming for a young boy who never gained weight, even if he might have had a high metabolism. Steve frowned at the bundle of kids, specifically Will. Because he knows their family doesn’t like charity, won’t take it.

            It was two days later when Steve decided to try something. He didn’t tell Mike or Holly what he planned to do, he just did it. But Will seemed rather content the next day, and he was whispering to the kids, and even Jonathan had less bags under his eyes. And Steve smiled. That night, Steve continued the action of making extra food for the Byers and leaving it on their doorstep late at night.

            He’d been doing this for three weeks before Mike caught him. He’d had a pot of spaghetti in his arms, getting ready to leave to drop it off when Mike flipped the light on. Steve just froze, staring right back at the Wheeler’s large eyes.

            “You?” Mike gasped.

            Steve just grinned, puts a finger to his lip, and ducked out the door. He made Mike swear not to tell anyone about what he was doing. And reluctantly, Mike agreed. Mike started helping him prepare the food after that. It was harder to do it when Will was over on some nights, but Mike had started to become a rather good cook, and Steve managed to distract Will while Mike ran the trip, or vice versa. Will, thankfully, didn’t catch on.

            It was after Steve got another check that he made a second decision. Attached to each vat of food was now an envelope of money, and because the Byers don’t know where the food came from, they can’t return the money. Mike was a little hesitant, but the logic helped him do it. Leaving notes were out of the question, their hand writing could be recognized. They hoped the food was enough to let them know people cared, and the money couldn’t hurt.

            Steve had Joyce as his cashier one day at the store, and he couldn’t help but notice how she seems more relieved. Steve beamed the entire rest of the day.

            Of course, with Will staying at his house some nights, the younger was bound to find out. Will was stunned, to say the least, as he caught Mike trying to sneak out with a pot of food, the money carefully tucked into his pocket.

            “What are you doing?” Will blurted.

            “Things,” Mike said dumbly before racing outside. Leaving Steve to deal with the aftermath.

            “Steve?” Will pressed.

            “Yes?” Steve tried for dumb, but Will’s glare made him cave.

            That was an interesting conversation Steve honestly did not want to relieve. It took far too long for Steve to convince Will that he did not do this out of pity. And once Will knew, he swore not to tell his mother or brother. Because, and Steve had thought about this a lot, he really wasn’t doing this out of pity. He did it because he cared for the Byers family, and they cared for him. He did it because people he cared about were suffering, and he wanted to take care of them the best way he could. And if that meant secretly delivering food, then he would keep doing it. He hugged Will for a long time after the conversation.

            It had been a few months of Steve doing this before he finally got caught in the act. Mike hadn’t been with him that night, having passed out after a long day of activities. And Steve had been exhausted too. So he went earlier than usual, completely forgetting that Joyce was supposed to be working late.

            “Steve?”

            Steve had gone completely rigid at the sound of the tired voice behind him. Setting the pot where he normally left it, Steve spun to face the confused face of Joyce Byers. And realization dawned on her as her gaze landed on the pot.

            “Steve,” and that tone was not one Steve wanted to hear.

            “Will and I have already had this conversation,” Steve put a hand up to stop Joyce from speaking. “This is because I care. Has always been because I care. And I’m not going to stop just because you know.”

            Joyce looked at him with those soft, tired eyes that seemed to hold the world. The eyes of a woman who cared too much. And Steve knew there weren’t enough people to return that care. So he pulled Joyce into a hug, letting the woman who was the closest thing to a mother he ever had, sag into his arms. And if she sobbed, Steve just hugged her tighter.

            Of course, she tried to refuse the money. But then Steve sat her down and explained his family situation. The checks, his parents, the ever-growing bank account. He didn’t want it, had never wanted it.

            “I’ve got nothing to do with it,” Steve insisted as he and Joyce sipped tea. “I’d rather give it to the people I care for than let it collect dust in a bank. Please, let me do _something._ ”

            The conversation that followed that took a lot more convincing. Way more than it should have, but he managed to make it work. He set up trust funds, one for both of Joyce’s children. Every so often, a bit of Steve’s money would get placed in both funds and it would pay Jonathan and Will’s way through college.

            Steve never stopped delivering food, but this time, he did it in person. Always with a smile, and sometimes, if he could manage it, he would hide money in the food. Not that he would ever let Joyce give it back. Something he made absolutely clear.

\----------------------------------

            By the end of the month, it became normal for the Monster Hunting Party to have meals at Steve’s. It became normal for any member of the Party to show up for food too. And Steve would just grin, brushing off every compliment as he watched the people he considered his family eat with smiles on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter than the last two. And light fluffy moments too. Things will go south soon though, so hold onto you seats.


	10. Another Scare And One Far Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This, was not something Steve would have wished upon anyone. But he takes action, gains a child, and makes a friend because of it. The good and the bad mix here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you thing would get worse.

            Holly was, to say the least, really growing up. And that bothered Steve a bit. This wasn’t just the case where parents sat by and went “my child grows up so fast”. No, this was the type of maturity that came from trauma. Neither Mike nor Holly would fully tell him what happened that night, and he knew that in Mike’s disoriented state, not all details had been emitted. If Karen had simply thrown Mike back, he wouldn’t have been so afraid. And neither would Holly.

            Sometimes, Steve would catch her playing with her dolls and something horrifying would pass her lips as she pretended that her dolls were having a fight. Other times, she would say something to comfort Will that a four-year-old shouldn’t be saying. There was even a time when he caught Mike sobbing into his pillow and Holly was just stroking his hair and singing a nonsense song. Holly’s trauma had made her extremely mature for her age and gave her a strong connection with her brother. And sometimes that worried Steve.

            It was at a time Steve was thinking over these thoughts that another scare came. Holly was reading a book, something she normally did with El. Unfortunately, El was not coming over that night, and Holly did not want to wait for the next day. Mike was at the kitchen counter, finishing off a math paper, not really paying attention to the workings of his sister. Holly wasn’t perfect, but she could definitely read simple picture books. And Steve listened as she read aloud, knowing she liked having an audience.

            Then there was a knock on the door.

            It was desperate and stirred all three occupants of the house. Exchanging a look with Mike, neither of them expecting anyone, Steve made his way to the door. He hadn’t even made it that far when it came again. Darkness had already washed over Hawkins, and because it was Friday, Steve was letting Mike and Holly stay up a little past their bed time. It was a decision Steve was going to regret.

            “Billy?” Steve gasped as he took in the form of his classmate. “What happened?”

            Billy Hargrove looked dead awful. A busted lip with a bruised face. He was hunched, wheezing as he leaned on the door, and his arm looked awful as it draped across his stomach. The former bully looked Steve dead in the eye.

            “I need you to keep your promise,” Billy rasped.

            Steve had Billy in the door and on the recliner in seconds before he was racing to Billy’s car. He still remembered that promise. It seemed a life time ago that he had approached Billy after his face had been bashed in the night the gate was closed. Billy had looked awful.

\-------------------------

            “Hargrove!” Steve called the moment he spotted the person he needed to see.

            “Hey, Harrington,” Billy greeted as he sauntered over. “Don’t you look gorgeous.”

            Steve’s face stung from the fight, but Billy seemed worse. And if there was one thing Steve was sure of, neither Max nor himself had done this to Billy. His suspicions had only been confirmed by this sight.

            “We need to talk,” Steve simply said.

            They ended up under the bleachers, neither caring about classes at the moment. And Billy just smirked. Until Steve spoke.

            “I’m guessing your dad?”

            Billy went rigid for just a moment, but tried to play it cool. “What are you talking about?”

            “Don’t play games, Billy,” Steve sighed. “I may be the wash-out King of Hawkins, but that doesn’t mean I’m some dumb idiot. Unlike half of Hawkins assumes, I can be observant when I want.”

            Billy growled. “What do you want? To gloat? To mock? To bring me down?”

            Steve raised an eyebrow, a painful action, but he scoffed.

            “In case you haven’t noticed, my reputation is jacked,” Steve stated. “And I’m coming to terms with that. Besides, if Dustin has anything to say about it, my friends will literally be a bunch of middle schoolers.”

            “What do you want?” Billy repeated, grinding his teeth.

            “To offer my help,” Steve stated, and he held up a hand as Billy scoffed. “I know these situations are delicate. One slip could just mean more pain for you. So, I want to help the only way I know how.”

            “And that is?” Billy pressed, suddenly just looking wary.

            “If it ever gets bad with you or Max,” Steve began, raising his one hand and putting the other on his heart. “If he ever lashes out at Max, if it ever gets bad for you, then I swear on my life that either of you can show up at my house and I will do my best to take care of you, no questions asked.”

            Billy blinked. And then nodded before he walked off.

\------------------------------

            Steve lifted Max out of the car as gently as he could, her pupils were blown, and she wasn’t really seeing anything. There were so many bruises. She looked just as bad as Billy. Mike had clearly seen Billy and was digging for the frozen vegetables he and Steve had bought the other day. And his eyes widened in horror as he spun around and saw Max.

            “We need to get her to a hospital,” Steve told Billy as he set Max on the couch. “Mike will be trying to call Hopper now. So what do you want to do.”

            “Just give me pain meds,” Billy grumbled. “Then I’ll be out of your hair.”

            Steve could only nod.

            He managed to wrap some of Billy’s wounds before he left. Billy had turned eighteen a couple weeks ago. He was officially an adult, he could officially leave. And Steve sighed as he got what he wanted. It took a while for Mike to reach Hopper, a mix of constant phone calls and radio calls had finally gotten not only the Hopper’s awake, but several other people too. The Byers and Nancy were already on their way when Mike finally got Hopper to answer. Steve had taken to moving Max.

            “Hospital!” Steve yelled at Mike as Holly raced behind Steve. “Tell him to meet us at the hospital!”

            Mike quickly said a few more things into the phone before he slammed it down. The Byers were pulling up as Steve slid Max into the backseat, and Holly was already buckling herself into her car seat. He had no idea when she learned to do that. The Byers followed close behind as Steve raced at a dangerous speed to the nearest hospital. And the moment Steve burst through the doors, a bed was brought, and Max was placed on it.

            “Steve?” Joyce has her hand on his arm, guiding him back, away from where they took Max. “Come on sweetie, let’s sit you down.”

            Steve hadn’t realized he had been shaking until Joyce took ahold of his left hand. He wasn’t even sure how long he had been shaking. He knew Neil hit Billy, knew he had been an abuser, but he wasn’t sure what that meant for Max. He didn’t know how far Neil had gone with Max, and that scared him.

            He wasn’t sure when he sat down, but Holly was curled in his lap, and Mike was curled into his side. Even Will was curled into his other side, gripping his shirt, grounding Steve into the moment.

            “It’s okay,” Holly hummed, grinning up at Steve. “We’ll take care of Max. Just like you took care of Mike.”

            To anyone else, it would have sounded like foolish childhood logic. But to Steve, to Mike, to Nancy and the Byers, they knew she meant it. And Steve would take care of Max, through whatever Neil had done to her.

            “Anything?” Hopper’s voice reached his ears.

            El must have been persistent because she was suddenly crawling into Steve’s lap, gripping Mike’s hand as she settled. Joyce was the one talking to Hopper, but Steve knew he needed to say something. So, he stood placing Holly and Eleven down, as he made his way towards Hopper.

            “We need to talk,” Steve stated simply. “This is more complicated than you think.”

            Spinning the tale, the truth, to Hopper was hard. He didn’t have all the details, but Hopper was going to make an arrest almost instantly. He left El in Steve and Joyce’s care. And it was five minutes after the conversation that a Doctor came in.

            “She’s asking for someone named Steve,” the Doctor informed. “And someone named Billy.”

            “I’m Steve,” he quickly stepped forward. “Billy isn’t here. I think she’ll understand.”

            The Doctor nodded, “I’m afraid I can only let him see her for now.”

            “What!” Mike yelled out angrily.

            “Mike,” Steve said softly. “Not now. Please. You saw what she was like when Billy brought her to us.”

            Mike scowled but nodded. And with Mike’s permission, Steve left to go see Max. Her eyes were open, staring at nothing as she repeated two names in a slur of a chant.

            “Steve, Billy, Steve, Billy, Steve, Billy, Steve, Billy, Steve,” came off her lips.

            “It’s alright,” Steve found himself whispering as he approached the bed. “Hey, Max, it’s alright. Billy got away. He’s safe. Neil can’t hurt him or you. I’ve got you.”

            “Steve,” she sobbed out. “Billy’s safe? He’s safe?”

            “Yeah,” Steve said softly. “He’s safe.”

            Max nodded, closing her eyes for the first time. Then another sob fell past her lips. “I’m scared, Steve. So scared. I don’t want to go away. Please, don’t let me go away.”

            He carefully, put a hand on her arm, not sure how she would react. But she grasped it tightly in her hands as she sobbed. Steve let out a breath and pulled her into his arms.

            “You won’t go away,” Steve insisted. “I won’t let you go away. You’re safe.”

            He cradled Max that night, kept her close until they wouldn’t let him stay. But he swore he would be back. Steve wasn’t sure Max slept that night.

\-------------------------------------

            Two days had passed, and the kids were huddled in Max’s room as she slept. Even Nancy and Jonathan were in the room as Steve rested on the bed beside Max. She was curled into his side, one fist clutching his shirt tightly. The other was threaded through Lucas’ hand. They were waiting for something, any news of what happened with Neil and Susan Hargrove. Max had already given her statement the day before, and the group was just tying to get her to sleep. Much to Steve’s relief, Billy had stepped in before anything could get worse, at least according to Max’s story.

            Max twitched in Steve’s arms, and Steve gripped her tighter. Holding her close. She began to stir in his arms as her eyes slowly opened.

            “You’re still here?” she asked, a frown on her face.

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded. “I’m still here.”

            Her frown deepened. “Have you eaten? Slept?”

            If there was one thing Steve hated, it was how perceptive the kids were and had become. Steve just shook his head, gaining several glares from the kids.

            “You need to take care of yourself,” Max stated.

            “Yeah,” Lucas nodded, the traitor. “We’ll keep an eye on Max. You can at least get something to eat.”

            Steve wanted to protest, but Nancy had that look on her face and Steve knew he would not win that argument. He nodded, hugging Max once more, before going to find the hospital cafeteria. And he itched to turn around, race back to Max and protect her, but then the kids would just berate him. He wasn’t aware he was even in the cafeteria, holding a tray, until someone spoke.

            “Don’t touch the chicken,” the voice caused him to whip his head around. “It’s extremely bland. Found that out the hard way.”

            There was a girl behind him, holding a tray, waiting her turn. She offered a timid smile, not quite reaching her face. Her eyes were a deep blue though, soft and inviting. Her brown hair wasn’t done up in any particular style, just falling loosely past her shoulders. And Steve knew he had never seen this girl in Hawkins before.

            “Then what do you suggest,” he found himself asking.

            Her smile became a little wider. “Put some mayo and salt and pepper on the turkey sandwich and it isn’t half bad.”

            Steve grinned back, doing exactly as the girl said and watching as she did the same. She had clearly been here a few days. Maybe a few weeks, and she looked incredibly worn. The type of worn that Steve was familiar with in Joyce Byers.

            “You alright?” he asked softly.

            “Fine,” she said, brushing it off. “Want to sit with me?”

            Steve nodded, following her to a table. “Steve Harrington,” he stuck his hand out once he was relieved of his tray.

            “Erin Cross,” she shook back.

            Realization crossed Steve’s face in a second. “Not Old Man Henry Cross’s granddaughter?”

            She shrugged. “His only granddaughter. An entire line of men, and I’m the only girl.”

            Old Man Henry Cross was the town’s oldest resident. He was kind, had even taught Steve to cook a few things. Then the old man had gotten ill and shut everyone out. Steve occasionally sent him money and cards, even though he knew the old man didn’t need them. Henry had been one of the few residents of Hawkins to realize Steve was alone, and he had taken Steve under his wing while he was still well and kicking. The problem was, the old man was too stubborn for his own good and refused to let anyone take care of him.

            “Must be rough,” Steve stated softly.

            “Nope,” Erin said casually, a hint of a real smile creeping on her face. “I learned to fight. After all, I have three older brothers.”

            “Really?” Steve asked, looking over the thin girl in front of him.

            “Of course,” she said as though it were obvious. “Matthew liked to dance before he could walk. Thomas would rather braid hair than play sports. Daniel likes expressing himself through art. And I wasn’t going to let anyone give them grief for any of it.”

            Steve blinked, trying to decide if this girl was serious. But Steve saw no fault or lie, and it made him smile.

            “Good,” Steve says simply. “They shouldn’t need grief. Believe me, no one deserves that.” Steve chuckled dryly. “I used to give people grief. Used to be a bully. Then I got to know the guy, and I’ve been trying to change. I must have done something right because we’re friends now.”

            Erin smiled at Steve softly. “You seem like a nice person too.”

            Mr. Cross and Max were on the same floor, so the two walked back with each other. They managed to make each other laugh all through lunch, and it was the best Steve had felt since the kids wandered into his life. And he had a feeling Erin felt the same way.

            “Thank you,” she whispered as they prepare to part ways. “For making me laugh.”

            Steve just smiles back. “Thank you too. If you need anything, anything at all.”

            He had tucked a napkin with her number in her jacket pocket. She knew he put it in there, had reached for it and looked at it after he slipped it in there. But he wasn’t sure if it was because he liked her, or he generally knew she needed someone. Or maybe it was because he needed someone to talk too.

            “You too,” she nodded and slipped away.

            He turned to the door to see Dustin and Lucas watching the girl leave.

            “Did you just get a girlfriend?” Dustin asked.

            “Nope,” Steve pushed passed them.

            “Dude,” Dustin gasped. “You totally got a girlfriend.”

            Steve turned to Dustin as everyone in the room was suddenly staring at Steve.

            “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand,” Steve said in exasperation.

            “It looked like you got a girlfriend,” Lucas pressed. “And if you didn’t then what do you call that little exchange outside the room.”

            “It’s called; her grandfather is dying, and I know her grandfather,” Steve stated as he turned towards the room.

            “So you got a girlfriend,” Dustin stated just as firmly.

            Steve groaned in annoyance.

\----------------------------------------------

            “Mrs. Hargrove,” Steve heard Hopper sigh as he entered the station. “Your daughter was nearly raped; the best thing right now is to press charges.”

            “I can’t,” she insisted. Steve’s heart clenched for Max in that moment.

            “Can’t,” Steve let his voice be heard. “Or won’t.”

            Mrs. Hargrove frowned at him. Tears fell down her face as she glared at him. But Steve had just finished talking to Max. And Max had made a prediction that hurt Steve to the core.

            “Is your abusive husband really that much more important than your daughter?” Steve pressed.

            “Harrington,” Flo tried to interject.

            “No,” Steve put his hands up to silence everyone. “Because that is exactly what Max thinks. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. And you know it. You were there both times Neil hurt Max, and you always turn a blind eye.” He watched as Susan stared defiantly back at him. “And in the eye of the law, that is the same as assisting in a crime.”

            “He’s right, Mrs. Hargrove,” Hopper spoke firmly. “You could lose your daughter.”

            “I won’t press charges,” she stated simply. “And you wouldn’t dare call child services. I know you care for Max. You wouldn’t separate them from her friends.”

            Steve just stared at Mrs. Hargrove for a moment, watching as she stared back in defiance. And then, he was picking up the phone on Officer Powell’s desk. Punching in the number he had memorized, he waited for the answer.

            “Child services,” a warm female voice spoke as Steve made sure that everyone could hear the conversation. “How can I help you?”

            “This is Steve Harrington,” he greeted. “I need to speak to Mark Strode or Charles York.”

            “One moment please,” the woman responded as dumb music came over the phone.

            Susan was still staring defiantly, waiting for some sort of slip up. But her eyes widened in fear and realization as a voice came over the phone.

            “Steve, my friend,” Charles York called over the phone. “Is it time to cash in the favor already?”

            “Yes and no,” Steve responded. “Different kid than the one’s I mentioned.”

            “Oof,” Charles’ voice came over the speaker. “Mark and I will be there soon. With paper work. You got a name.”

            “Maxine Mayfield,” Steve stated into the receiver. “And I’ll see you soon.” Hanging up, Steve turned to Susan Hargrove, her gaze hardening. “Your right,” Steve nodded. “I wouldn’t dare separate Max from the people she loves. So what made you think I wasn’t prepared?”

            That look of defiance was completely gone now, and Mrs. Hargrove deflated. Hopper instantly pulled Steve out of the room.

            “What on Earth is going on?” Hopper pressed, glaring at Steve.

            “I’m a potential foster parent,” Steve stated simply. “It took me a while, but I hit a few bars, met with the right people, and suddenly I’ve got two friends in Child Services that understand how much I care and fear for a bunch of kids. I got the official paperwork just after my nineteenth birthday.”

            Hopper blinked in surprise, and then he laughed. Steve just grinned back as Hopper sank into a chair. Because it was pure relief on Hopper’s face. Relief at the fact that one of their six kids would be safe.

            Charles and Mark came by quickly, roughly forty minutes after the call. They listened to Max’s confession from both the recording and Max herself and then went over the medical record. Steve gave what he knew about Billy Hargrove and Max gave them an address of where Billy would go first. By the end of the talk, Charles and Mark were filling out documents to prepare for both court cases. Steve would keep Max until the court cases and then things would go from there. Steve promised the two a free round of drinks on him.

\-------------------------

            “That’s got to be a relief, right?” Erin pointed out as Steve found himself eating lunch with her again. “One of your kids is safe now.”

            Steve nodded as he bit into his sandwich. He talked a lot with Erin now, whether at lunch or in the hallway. Sometimes, Steve would confess his worries or fears about his kids. Other times, he would let Erin breakdown about her grandfather. But they didn’t tell each other everything. It was easier to throw your worries on strangers, but he and Erin weren’t exactly strangers anymore. More like mild acquaintances.

            “She deserves to be safe,” Steve nodded, no other word seemed to fit as he set his sandwich down. “All of them do.”

            Erin seemed to soften, having been tense through the meal. Something was itching at her, wanting to be said. But she couldn’t seem to say anything. So, Steve had talked, about Susan Hargrove, about Max, about the whole situation. It all came out in a slew of words as they ate their sandwiches huddled in a corner.

            “He left me his life savings,” Erin finally blurted out. “Literally. He left me the only thing I didn’t want.”

            Steve started and clasped her hand in his own, giving a gentle squeeze as her body began to shake. Erin was strong, he had seen that several times. But other than her brothers, her grandfather was the only one who actually cared for her. He sent her letters, encouragements, called her when he could.

            She took in a shaky breath. “He knew I wanted to make my own way in the world,” she breathed out. “He knew I didn’t want the money. And he looked me dead in the eye and said I would need it the most. What does that even _mean?_ ”

            “That he loves you,” Steve stated simply. He knew Mr. Cross. Knew somewhat of how the man’s brain worked. “That he knows you want to go big, and that you of all people will use the money wisely.”

            Erin took in a shaky breath as Steve looped his arm around her shoulders.

            “You will be an amazing writer,” Steve said, looking her dead in the eye. “And whatever else you want to be. And he knows that. Has always known that.”

            Mild acquaintances was out the window now as he pulled Erin close. They were friends, as close to friends as they could be. And Steve held his new friend close as she sobbed over the inevitable death of her grandfather. Not ten minutes before Max was to be discharged, the news came that Mr. Cross had passed away in his sleep. Steve went to the funeral as Joyce watched the kids.

\--------------------------------

            “Easy,” Steve said as Max and Holly slid down the stairs on a mattress. “Don’t mess up your side. One bruise was enough.”

            Max stuck out her tongue and Holly copied. “You’re no fun,” Max quipped.

            “No fun!” Holly repeated with a mock scowl.

            Mike’s mattress slammed into theirs. The three were laughing on a mess on the floor when El’s mattress slammed into them too. Steve just rolled his eyes with a grin. Max had been positively restless while bed ridden, and El recommended they try this the moment she came over.

            According to her: Max was not technically leaving the bed.

            Steve had caved at the puppy dog eyes. To top that off, Neil Hargrove was in jail for a good ten years. Billy was safe, finishing his GED in California as he lived with his mother’s sister. And Susan Hargrove had lost all custody of her daughter, having chosen her husband over her daughter. She had moved away, though Steve honestly didn’t know or care where. Then there was Max. After the court had made their decisions, Charles and Mark had been quick to get custody over to Steve. He was still in the fostering stage, but it would only be a month before he would have full custody of Max.

            He found himself laughing as Jane levitated the mattresses back to the top of the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. The end of the chapter. And things are still only going to get worse from here.


	11. An Unwanted Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd always gotten checks in the mail from his parents. But this. This was just down right ridicules.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't even the bad that I originally told you was coming!
> 
> But it is still pretty bad!

            He hated getting checks from his parents. Just that painful reminder that his parents were never there. That they never really cared. But this, this was just ridicules. Steve stared at the amount that was screaming at him, very much confused. There was an old joke, is that my bank statement or my phone number? But the amount currently staring at him on both the check and the bank statement he currently held was definitely over that.

            “You okay?” Jonathan asked, a frown on his face as he caught Steve outside the dark room.

            “I,” Steve tried, not quite finding the words as he continued to stare at the two slips of paper. “I have no idea.”

            “Steve?” Jonathan pressed.

            Steve turned to Jonathan, slipping the two items into his jacket pocket. “Can you get Mike, Max, and Holly today? I have to go to the bank.”

            Jonathan barely got a chance to nod before Steve was leaving the school. Nancy only just approached to see Steve suddenly leave.

            “Where is he going?” Nancy asked with an almost disappointed frown.

            “The bank,” Jonathan stated simply.

            Nancy furrowed her brow further.

            Steve, thankfully, saw a bank teller almost immediately. There was so much rushing through his head the moment the words left the man’s lips. But the man took no notice as he pointed out where the money had come from. Steve wasn’t really paying attention as those first few words still rang in Steve’s head.

            “Did no one tell you your father died?”

            No. His mother hadn’t even thought to call or write a letter, let alone tell him in person. Steve could hardly listen as the bank teller broke down where the money came from. Trust funds, insurances, separate banks. It had all been broken down. And Steve hated every last penny.

            He got home in a haze and asked Joyce to take care of the kids. He sat on the couch for a long time, unable to cry.

\--------------------------------

            “This better be important,” Lucas huffed as he walked into Will’s room. “My mom was making pasta.”

            It had been a week since Steve had gone to the bank, and Mike had finally determined it was time to call an emergency party meeting.

            “Somethings wrong with Steve,” Mike stated with a glare. “I think that is important enough.”

            “Seconded,” Dustin raised his hand.

            “What’s wrong with Steve?” El asked, with those wide, innocent eyes.

            Max and Mike exchanged a look. “He won’t talk,” Max mumbled softly as she looked down at her lap. “He won’t eat either. And sometimes we catch him just staring at nothing.”

            “It’s like his eyes glass over,” Mike added. “Like he’s not really here.”

            “Do you think it’s the Upside Down?” Dustin asked, making everyone tense.

            Before the group could answer, Joyce called into the house for her son. The kids took a moment to collect themselves before they all stepped out to greet Joyce as though nothing was wrong. Joyce saw right through them.

            “What’s wrong?” she frowned.

            They exchanged a look before Mike spoke. “Something’s wrong with Steve.”

            The kids were soon all illegally squished into Joyce’s car as they drove over to Steve’s house. It was clear that by the way Joyce gripped the steering wheel that she had the same fear as the kids. She had nearly called Hopper when the kids told her about Steve’s strange behavior, but she had barely convinced herself that it was anything else.

            Entering the Harrington home had the kids on a wild goose chase trying to locate Steve. They eventually found him fast asleep in Holly’s room with Holly asleep on his chest. There was a slight relief that washed over the room, but it soon disappeared as they realized that Steve was tense, even in sleep. Holly was quickly shifted to Mike as Joyce prodded Steve awake. And as Steve slowly woke up, Joyce shooed the kids out of the room.

            “Stevie is sad,” Holly said as she woke up. “Very, very sad.”

            “Why is he sad, Holly?” Will asked as the kids crouched before Holly.

            “His daddy died,” Holly said. “He told me before he went to sleep.”

            The kids all bulked as they looked upstairs, unsure of how to react or if they should comfort Steve. Meanwhile, Steve was wrapped in Joyce’s embrace, still unable to cry.

            “She wouldn’t even tell me in person,” Steve gasped out. “She just pushed it aside like it was nothing. I found out from a _bank teller._ ”

            “Steve, honey,” Joyce cooed as she ran a hand through his hair. “You have to tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help you if I don’t know what happened.”

            “There’s nothing you can do,” Steve shook his head. “My dad is dead. There is nothing you can do.”

            Joyce’s grip became tighter. “It’s okay to be angry,” Joyce said. “It’s okay. You can be angry. It’s alright to be angry.”

            Steve sank further into Joyce’s arms. He wasn’t sure what he felt. But he still didn’t cry, just let Joyce hold him.

\------------------------

            “Steve?”

            Erin’s last day in Hawkins was today, and Steve was getting lunch with her at Benny’s to reminisce their time together. Her gaze was calm, softening as he met her gaze. Carefully leaving money on the table, Erin brought Steve outside and behind Benny’s.

            “Steve,” her voice was soft this time.

            “He was never around,” the words slipped out. Easy, like they always did with Erin. “He was never around and now he’s really gone, and my mom wouldn’t even tell me. Just sent me a dumb check.”

            This hug was different as Erin wrapped her arms around him. Joyce was one of a mother to a son, a touch that Steve was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. But this was one of those hugs where you always felt at home. Those hugs where you felt fully safe and protected and loved. Steve gave the kids this same hug, and he had given Erin this hug when her grandfather finally died. Tears fell down Steve’s face for the first time as he sank it her embrace.

            “No one is asking you to be okay,” Erin hummed. “You don’t need to be okay.”

            Steve wasn’t sure why, but he let all those pent-up tears just spill, curling deeper into Erin’s embrace. Erin bought him ice cream after that, him waiting in the car as she ordered the cold dessert.

            “Thank you,” Steve whispered as Erin handed him the ice cream.

            Erin just smiled. Steve took them to the Quarry, the same place where Will’s fake body was found. And they just spent a few hours in each other’s presence.

\------------------------------

            School had been a distraction for the week, but now he was taking a breath, letting himself fall back into his studies without the cloud hanging over his head. In fact, he had his head dug into the book they were supposed to be reading when a hand grabbed his arm. Jonathan and Nancy stared at him in worry.

            “Hey,” he said, placing a tissue in the book. “What’s up?”

            Nancy bit her lip. “How are you?”

            Steve’s eyes lit up in realization. Of course they would be worried, and of course they knew. Steve gave a soft smile as he relaxed.

            “I’m fine,” he nodded. “At least, as fine as I can be. I got what I needed to out of my system.”

            They didn’t seem convinced, but they nodded. And Steve was off to his next class, nose buried back into the book. No, he wasn’t ever going to be “ok”. But he would get close, eventually. He had his kids and people who actually cared about him, and that was all he really needed.

            “Stevie’s all better,” Holly smiled at Steve as he placed a pot of pasta on the table, a separate pot on the stove for the Byers. “Stevie is happy now.”

            “Yeah,” Steve smiled as he planted a kiss to Holly’s head. “I’m all better.”

            Max quickly hugged Steve from behind. “Your mom sucks,” she said into Steve’s back.

            Steve just laughed. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Yeah, she does.”

            “Join the club,” Mike grumbled, already dishing pasta onto his plate. “I think the only two people without a terrible parent are Lucas and Dustin, but they can be honorary members.”

            Steve laughed again. He wouldn’t be okay. That option had long since been removed from his life the first time his parents left him on his own. But that would be just fine, because he wasn’t alone. Not as he was surrounded by three kids and there were four other kids, two friends, and two adults who cared for him. And Erin was a great help too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am starting to get behind on chapters. So it may be a bit before I post again. Needless to say, there may be one to no update over the weekend. But when I do post, it will be one of the worst things that could happen.
> 
> Get ready for some heartache next chapter!


	12. Dinner Gone Wrong, Home Gone Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It finally that time. But Steve can't keep his nerves down as he waits for them to come back. Or call. His own mind has gone to every possible negative outcome. And he hated being right.
> 
> He never should have made that deal with Karen Wheeler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I updated anyways. I actually like to write my chapters in advance and edited them before I post, but I also like to be a certain number of chapters ahead so that I make sure I don't need to change anything from a previous chapter. I managed to complete the rough draft for two more chapters so that means you guys get an update!

            It had been a month since his father died, and there were several other family issues that had been pushed forward. None of them technically his own. Nancy had somehow talked Mike into coming with her for a dinner with Karen and Ted. And that was an hour ago. Steve and Max had eaten dinner on edge, not a word spoken between them. Steve, out of worry, had eventually sent Max with the food for the Byers.

            It was a good thing too, because there was suddenly a knock on the door. A very frantic knock that made Steve’s heart clench.

            “Steve!” Nancy’s frantic and shaky voice came from the other side of the door.

            Steve wrenched the door open and instantly lunged for them. He hadn’t even processed what he was seeing before he had relieved Nancy of a very limp Holly and a very shaky Mike. There was a cut on Nancy’s forehead, glasses peaking out of the wound. Mike’s knee was busted, and he was pale and shaky. But judging by the gravel, Mike had fallen on concrete and not from a family induced injury. It was Holly that made Steve really panic.

            Not only was the four year old unconscious, but there was a cut on her arm and a massive bruise on her head. Steve was herding them towards the car just as Max rounded the corner on her skate board. She quickly took Holly, carrying her and holding her in the car. Steve was really starting to hate hospitals.

            Mike and Nancy almost had to wait a few hours to get treated, but Steve insisted they were family and needed to be kept together. After several amounts of shouting, the nurse finally gave up and let the three get sent to the same room. Neither Mike or Nancy said anything the whole way. Max was already using every arcade quarter she had to call up everyone, and Steve quickly called Hopper. It wasn’t long after they finished calling everyone that Nancy came out, head wrapped.

            “They were fighting,” Nancy said, the good side of her head leaning into Steve’s chest. “Holly was screaming, somehow got out of her high chair. It started so nice, we thought they were okay. Then they ruined it. They started fighting and Holly got in the way. I tried to stop her.”

            Nancy was shaking as Steve shushed her. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, and Jonathan is coming soon.”

            Dustin made it first with his mother. He immediately demanded to see Mike, but the Doctor’s were taking a bit longer with him. Nancy didn’t say much else, just shifted into Jonathan’s arms the minute he approached. Steve quickly held El as she also demanded to see Mike. Will, it appeared, had been having a nightmare, so Steve had three kids crowded around him. Mike was guided out later, and El practically knocked his already shaky form over. There was still no word on Holly.

            “What’s taking so long?” Hopper huffed.

            “We’re not family,” Joyce pointed out. “And the two family members here are currently traumatized.”

            Hopper scowled and went up to the nurse. Steve had no idea what Hopper said, but Steve was suddenly guided back to go and see Holly. He still remembered when Nancy walked into his house with the request.

\--------------------------------

            “No!” Mike had snapped. “I am not going back!”

            “They’re still our parents!” Nancy growled back. “They are our legal guardians. Not Steve. And it’s only a matter of time before Steve slips up and we have to go back anyways.”

            The words stung, and Nancy seemed to realize what she said the moment she said it. But Steve was already leaving the table before she could say anything. He hadn’t meant too, but the glass door slammed shut with a force so great, Steve was surprised he hadn’t shattered it. He went to the woods, not really caring if anyone was trying to find him or not. Because that was his biggest fear, failing his kids. And Nancy had basically just made his greatest fear a reality.

            It started to rain after that, like the sky was mocking him, but Steve didn’t really care. He let the water wash over him, didn’t care if it gave him a cold. At least, he didn’t care until a tiny form sat down next to him. Holly tucked into his side, singing that nonsense song she liked to sing.

            And Steve was not going to let this child catch a cold.

            “Steve,” Nancy tried with that tone that said she wasn’t sure how to apologize. It was the same tone she had used that night they were officially over with. The night they saved Will and closed the gate.

            Steve just put his hand up as he marched Holly upstairs. They both ended up catching a cold. Steve wasn’t sure what was said between Nancy and Mike, but the two decided on a few weeks after their talk. Steve and Nancy hadn’t really talked since then.

\-----------------------

            At least, not until her head was buried in his chest as she shakily retold their story. He shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he heard soft crying. He knew those cries too.

            “It’s okay,” the sound of a nurse’s voice greeted him, “I’m sure your parents will be here soon.”

            “No!” Holly wailed. “I want Mikey or Stevie!”

            Steve quickly stepped into the room. “Hey, sweetie,” he cooed as he moved to settle next to the little girl. “I’m right here. Okay. Mommy and Daddy won’t hurt you anymore. You’re okay.”

            “Stevie!” Holly sobbed into his chest.

            “Concussion,” a voice spoke, probably a doctor. “The cut needed stitches.”

            “I don’t want a concussion!” Holly sobbed.

            “Hey,” Steve cooed softly. “It’s okay. I had a concussion, remember? When my face was all purple and pretty.”

            Holly still hiccupped her sobs, but she nodded into him. The nurse was gone, the Doctor keeping an eye on them. But Steve could see the look on he Doctor’s face, that look that said he was turning a blind eye. For now. There was no doubt in Steve’s mind that the nurse had gone to call Child Services.

            “I don’t want to go with Mommy and Daddy,” Holly hiccupped into Steve’s sweater. “I don’t want too.”

            “It’s okay, Holly,” Steve cooed. “Everything is okay.”

            And then, the last person Holly or Steve wanted to see, walked through the door. She was playing her part well, looking the frantic mother. But even the Doctor could obviously see Karen’s façade shift as she laid eyes on Steve. Steve shoved Holly behind him as she screamed.

            “No!” Holly wailed. “Don’t let her take me Stevie! I don’t want to go with Mommy!”

            “Holly,” Karen tried.

            “Get out,” Steve hissed. “Now.”

            “That is my daughter,” Karen snapped right back. “I will do as I wish.”

            Steve growled. “So you can do what, exactly, Karen?” he snapped, not caring who heard as his voice grew louder. “So you can knock her around again? Put her into unconsciousness again? So you can watch as a beer bottle hurtles towards your oldest daughter? So you can watch as your only son becomes immobile again because you and your husband broke his ribs? No, you’ve proven not once, but twice that you can’t be a responsible parent. Now. Get. Out!”

            “I wanna go home!” Holly wailed into Steve’s back. “I wanna go home!”

            “We’ll go home, honey,” Karen spoke out. “We’ll-”

            “No!” Holly screamed. “Not with you. Wanna go to Stevie’s house. Wanna go home.”

            Steve’s heart swelled at that. He quickly turned to Holly, wrapping her in a warm hug as she sobbed, begging to return home. Home. Steve had never considered his own house his home, probably never would, and yet the smartest toddler he knew thought it was her own home.

            Karen was asked to leave because she was “stressing the patient” but Mike was brought back in moment later.

\----------------------------

            As suspected, child services were called, and Steve mentally thanked whatever nurse gave Holly’s name. Charles and Mark both offered him eager smiles as they walked into the room. Unlike Susan Hargrove, Karen did not have a look of defiance. Her face held more of determination. Karen and Ted were talked to first, asked questions Steve and the others weren’t allowed to hear. Then each of the kids were pulled in one by one, though Mike got to stay through Holly’s question. Then Steve was called in, much to everyone’s surprise.

            “I’d offer you a drink,” Mark said teasingly, “but I left my flask at home.”

            Steve chuckled and shook his head as Charles handed him some aspirin. The three men sat there for a moment, none of them talking as Mark began to smoke.

            “This won’t be easy,” Charles said as he slid the papers into a manila folder. “It will take time.”

            “However long it takes,” Steve insisted firmly. “Do whatever it takes no matter how long it takes.”

\----------------------------

            Three months, that was how long it took for Steve to be able to be the official foster parent for Mike and Holly. And Nancy too, though they considered more of guardianship. It was a fight on Charles and Mark’s side to not stick the three Wheeler children with a social worker. But with the help of Chief Hopper and some connections, Steve got to take care of them all through the court case. It was going to take even longer to officially adopt the two, but they didn’t mind.

            “Does this make us siblings?” Max asked one night at dinner. “I mean, since Steve is our guardian and all.”  

            “Only if you want to be,” Steve said back before Mike could say anything. “Now eat your food. We’re running late, and we need to get the Byer’s their food, and we need to drop dinner off at Hopper’s because he’s running late.”

            “Ellie!” Holly squealed excitedly. “We get to see Ellie!”

            “Preferably before El decides to eat all the Eggos in the house,” Steve added.

            That had not ended well. El was sick for a week and Hopper had banned everyone from the cabin for a month. It turned it a week and a half because El kept sobbing. Still, Steve did not need Mike gripping about being separated from his girlfriend.

            “Can we watch a movie when we get home?” Max asked.

            And Steve smiled as he nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go. Things got worse. I've noticed a theme with my chapters. Something bad always happens. Sort of. Chapter 9 was pretty fluffy. Oh well, more pain and fluff to come.


	13. Graduation and a Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve honestly wasn't sure he'd make it here. But here he was on the biggest day of his high school career. Graduating with the promise of a job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should tell you guys a bit about how I created Erin Cross.
> 
> I initially started writing this book in the summer around June, but never really got anywhere with it. It wasn't until a friend and I started talking about the show that I realized I was missing something for this fanfic. The original premise for this book was that Steve took in several of the kids and (Mike, Max, Holly, and others to come), but it wasn't enough. Because let's be honest, Steve is a very love starved person. It's pretty obvious by how his break up with Nancy went. It was also pretty clear by how he latched onto the kids that he is pretty lonely. 
> 
> I created Erin Cross to be a friend Steve could rely on. Someone not a part of the Upside Down that could reach Steve's needs in a way that the Monster Hunting Party couldn't. Sure. they comfort each other, but Steve needed someone to ground him in a way a bunch of middle-schoolers-going-high-schoolers couldn't. 
> 
> Since I created her in August, I have given her a personality, strenght, weaknesses, and figured out where her relationship with Steve will go. It may seem rushed, but in order to make this story work, I need to make it clear that this story take place over several time jumps. 
> 
> So without further ado, here is another chapter with Erin Cross.

            Whoever decided this was graduation attire had to have been high, Steve decided as he looked at himself in the mirror. But he sighed and prepared to leave, because today was his graduation. He had no idea how it happened, but here he was, about to graduate from high school. He wasn’t going to college, that much was certain. He couldn’t leave his kids behind. But it wasn’t like he had no plans, Hopper had offered a suggestion.

            _“You could be an officer,”_ Hopper had said one time when the group was at the Byers. _“I mean, you can’t do anything till you are 21. But we can have you on as a paid intern for a bit. Help Flo. At least until you are old enough to become an official deputy.”_

            Steve might have laughed at the idea at one point, but that wasn’t actually a bad idea. Not only would he be close, but he could also watch after all his kids. Plus, he kind of liked being able to protect people. Sure, most of the activity in Hawkins was something dumb, but both he and Hopper feared the re-opening of the Upside Down.

            “Steve!” Max yelled from somewhere in the house. “Quit admiring yourself and come on!”

            Steve scowled at Max as he came downstairs, but he rubbed her head affectionately. Joyce quickly pulled Steve away, and several pictures were taken by as many people that wanted. And with as many people that wanted a picture with Steve.

            “You look dumb,” Mike quipped.

            “Yep,” Steve grinned right back. “But I look better than you.”

            The kids all piled on him, laughing as they got pictures with him. Holly, who had recently turned Five, also got in on the picture action by trying on Steve’s too big graduation hat. And honestly, this was the best thing Steve could have ever asked for, because he wasn’t alone for graduation.

            He grinned, fully and hearty as they got to school, and the grin stayed on his face all the while he walked onto the stage and got his diploma. The after party was held at Steve’s and everyone insisted cooking for Steve, which was odd, because Steve always cooked. But he let them have their moment.

            “Any plans now?” Mr. Sinclair asked casually. “I figure you don’t want to leave the kids.”

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded as he sipped a soda. “Hopper’s offering me a paid internship at the police for a bit. Who knows, if I like it, I might just stay there.”

            The six teens whipped their heads towards him. Oh. Steve had forgotten to tell them his plans. Whoops.

            “So we’re not moving to some college?” Mike asked slowly.

            Steve blinked. “Why the heck would I make you guys do that?”

            “We thought that was what you wanted,” Max admitted. “We saw all those acceptance letters. So we figured we would be leaving.”

            “We came to terms with it and everything!” Mike threw his hands in the air in frustration.

            Steve blinked again. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as a large sigh escaped his lips.

            “I spent months trying to become a foster parent and make connections so that I could keep you in Hawkins with your friends,” Steve pointed out slowly. “Why would I go through all that effort just to pull you away from your friends? I even threw away those acceptance letters.”

            “Ha!” Dustin shrieked in triumph. “I told you! But no! Steve was totally just going to take you away!”

            “Shut up!” Max and Mike hissed.

            But Steve didn’t miss the tears in Max’s eyes that she was trying to blink back. He didn’t miss the subtle shake as silent sobs threatened to escape past Mike’s lips. He really needed to talk to them about things. Sliding to the floor, he pulled the two of them into an embrace.

            “We aren’t going anywhere,” Steve cooed softly. “We are staying right here. I promise.”

            “I was still right,” Dustin said under his breath.

            Lucas punched him in the shoulder. Hard.

            Dinner was nice, especially now that the kids weren’t under the impression they were being separated. It would be a few days before Steve could get an official okay to be an intern, but that was okay. Joyce would have Mike, Max, and Holly for the week as Steve went up to New York for Senior Week. With Erin Cross.

\--------------------------------------

            The week in New York consisted of tons of sight seeing and just running around like a couple of crazy people. Which was extremely freeing after having had to do school and raise several formerly abused children. Because he may have been considered an adult, technically, but he was still young. And he hadn’t had much time to embrace his childish side since the gate. Well, further than that, since his parents started to leave him alone.

            “Adulting sucks,” Steve made the comment one day.

            Erin burst out laughing and bought him ice cream. He ended up asking her why she didn’t buy ice cream for herself, and she admitted she was lactose intolerant. Then they went to a Broadway show and ate at the Hard Rock café. There wasn’t even a dent in his bank account. That was their last day in New York.

            He learned a lot about Erin. She could really hold her own in a fight, she loved her family (though her father was angry about her grandfathers will), and she was going to attend college in Chicago. Steve offered to make her real food whenever she decided she was tired of college food. She learned a lot about him too. Mainly about the kids he took care of and how messed up his life was. Leaving out the things about the Upside Down. But he told her things he was afraid to tell his kids. Like his fear of silence.

            It was nice, having someone outside of the Hawkins problems. Someone to listen.

             Erin was something different in his life, something special. A shift in the crazy that is his life. She was just one of those people that sometimes in a blue moon, you meet someone who will listen and understand. Even if they don’t. And when they parted ways, Steve found himself longing for that sense of something different, of someone to listen. But he had his kids, and he couldn’t stop smiling all the way home.

\---------------------------------------

            Going home, Steve was still smile, content with the last week and eager to see his kids. He ended up getting home earlier than he thought he would and decided to surprise the kids and the Byers. He quickly whipped up a pasta and appeared on the Byers front porch.

            “Steve!” Joyce gasped with a smile.

            “Hey,” he smiled as Joyce ushered him in.

            He was quickly tackled by several eager teenagers, before he put the pot down.

            “Are we going home tonight?” Holly asked as she clung to Steve’s leg.

            Steve smiled down at her, and all of the kids still clinging to him. “Yeah,” he nodded. “We can go home tonight.”

            Someone, probably Joyce, finally relieved him of the pot, and Steve engulfed his kids in the best hug he could give. At least, the best he could with his average size arms, six teens, and one small child. But that didn’t really matter, because his kids were all present and safe.

            They ate the pasta, which wasn’t his best work, but he had been in a rush. And the sound of laughter had Steve beaming brightly all night. He spent the night talking to Nancy and Jonathan, eagerly asking questions about his week away. And everything was as it should be in that moment as the Monster Hunting Party relaxed in each other’s presence.

\-------------------------

            “Do you even need the money?” Mike asked as Steve dropped them off at school. They only had two days left, and the kids were definitely feeling cranky as they went through finals. And Mike had chosen to lash out on the fact that Steve was getting a paid job. “You’re already loaded.”

            “Maybe not,” Steve shrugged, holding back his own irritation. “Now get out of the car. You aren’t the only one who has things to do.”

            Mike scowled as he climbed out of the car with Max. They had dropped Holly off first, a mistake Steve regretted greatly. But he drove the car to the station to meet with Hopper. Flo, however, offered him a cup of coffee and a donut, which eased him a bit.

            “Welcome to the team kid,” Flo said.

            And Steve nodded back, feeling his nerves build back up as he stepped into Hopper’s office. But Hopper was kind as he passed the official application to Steve for him to feel out. Powell and Callahan were nice, giving Steve instructions and helping him gain his footing. Hopper was constantly checking on him, making sure he was aware of what he should be doing. And Flo was his biggest help, aiding him in taking care of things and teaching him the ropes. Things settled, and as summer ushered in, Steve was glad that he was not working under his father. Because he was here, setting a life for himself with his kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading your comments, and I have often thought of responding, but I noticed a similar pattern in many of the comments. Thanks for the praise, to start. I've always been self conscious about my writing, and a friend encouraged me to try posting to see what would happen, and I really appreciate the encouragement. 
> 
> Second; I find it really funny that you guys think Ted alone was the problem. Haha. Guess you guys will just have to keep reading to figure out what really happened the first time Mike and Holly started living with Steve. 
> 
> P.S. I apologize for the long note, I just figured since it would be quite a few (maybe like ten) chapters before I actually built on Erin that I should give some slight background on her creation.


	14. A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle for our Monster Hunting Party. It's not perfect, far from it. But they are coping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing fluffy about this chapter. Just a warning. Well, maybe a little fluff. But it is not fluffy.
> 
> Some Will & Steve, El & Steve, Jonathan & Steve action though. Plus Steve in his job. And we get to see how the silence really affected Steve too. It's not good guys.
> 
> P.S. The thing at the end of the chapter involving Steve and Jonathan is an actual real life technique. Plus a trigger warning.

            Summer had hit Hawkins, and with it, more freedom for the six kids. And in order to make sure all six were together, this meant spending a lot of time at Steve’s house. They spent most of their time indoors, until Steve put his foot down. And for the first time, El was going to try swimming. It wasn’t just Steve with the kids this time. Hopper was at the grill, keeping a watchful eye on everyone. Joyce was setting up a table that Steve and Jonathan had brought outside. Nancy and Jonathan were in a set of lawn chairs, Nancy sunbathing as Jonathan took pictures. Even Holly was enjoying floating around with her floaties as Dustin pulled her around the pool. And it was Steve that was currently probing El into the pool as the other five sent encouragement.

            Dustin had explained what “a bath” meant to El. How she had used it to find Will back in 1983. It made sense that she would be afraid of a large body of water, especially going under the water. But Hopper thought El should learn to swim, so Steve was trying to help her.

            “Come on El,” he coaxed again. “It’s not that deep here, see? It won’t go past your chest. And I won’t let you go unless you want me too.”

            “You can do it, El!” Max cheered from Steve’s side.

            “It’s alright,” Mike said from his other side. “You don’t have to use your powers. You can trust Steve.”

            El had a death like grip on Steve’s arms with just her feet on the first step. Her body shook a bit, but she looked into Steve’s eyes with a trust that had developed over the times he had looked after her. El clutched onto him as she let one foot take a step, then another. She continued to grip Steve’s arms tightly, but Steve never let go. Her eyes shown with wonder as her feet found the bottom of the shallow end.

            “See,” Steve smiled as Mike hugged her. “You can do this El. You’re strong.”

            El nodded, slowly releasing her grip on Steve to let the others come and swarm her with wet hugs. The kids swam around, teaching El to swim too as they got excited. Steve took his gaze away from the kids after watching them for a bit, making a face at Jonathan as he lifted his camera. Which was a mistake, because Steve hadn’t realized how close to the deep end that El had wandered. And the kids were too excited to notice too.

            It started with an odd sound in the water, and then the kids were panicking as Steve whipped around. He didn’t even need to count the kids to realize what happened. He was under the water in seconds, grabbing the clearly panicked and drowning El, and propelling them upward. Hopper was already by the pool, reaching for his daughter with Jonathan’s help. El was breathing, thankfully something Steve was glad for as he pulled himself out of the pool. But she was clearly traumatized.

            “Dad,” she whimpered, clutching onto Hopper tightly.

            “It’s okay, El,” Hopper cooed. “Everything is okay. I’ve got you. No more pool.”

            El nodded, gratefully pulling the towel Steve offered around her shoulders. The other kids were out of the pool too, Mike crouching by her side as Holly clutched at Steve’s leg. El clung to Mike the rest of the day, though no one could blame her. The food was a good transition as Hopper wasn’t half bad at the grill. But it was El’s comment at the end of the day that had everyone surprised.

            “I want to try again,” she insisted to Steve and Hopper.

            Everyone was surprised, but Steve got his bearings back first.

            “Whenever you want.”

\---------------------------------------

            Flo found the phone calls absolutely annoying, but Steve always laughed after them. Because they were always so simple. Lawn Gnome’s going missing, missing objects, supposed thefts were things were just put in the wrong spot. Simple, ordinary Hawkins problems. Those were the best phone calls Steve could have ever hoped for. He wasn’t 21 yet, so he couldn’t actually do much field work. But the phone calls weren’t all bad, and Flo had some interesting stories if you could prob them out of her. Hopper found it amusing, the kick that Steve got out of the calls. But still, every time a call came in, Steve expected the worst.

            “Hawkins Police,” Steve greeted as he picked up the phone that morning. A grin came across Steve’s face at the odd request. “Of course,” he hummed, sending an amused smile to Officer Powell and Callahan. “We would love to send over someone to check out your plate collection to see if one is missing.” Both officers scowled at him. “Let me just fill out a form and we’ll see what we can do.”

            The two officers just grumbled as they flipped a coin to see who would go deal with the “issue”. Powell lost. Steve had just put the phone down and was about to give the report to the officer when the phone rang again. Callahan scowled again, as Powell looked smug. Steve picked up the phone with a grin.

            “Hawkins-” the words weren’t yet out of his mouth before he said something.

            “Yes, I’d like to order a pizza,” the sound of a woman’s voice came across the line.

            “Ma’am,” he spoke softly. “I think you have the wrong number.”

            Callahan and Powell were staring at him in confusion, and Flo was picking up the other line to listen in. Hopper chose this moment to walk in.

            “No,” she said insistently. “I’d like to order a pizza with pepperonis and extra cheese, please.”

            Now Steve was really confused. Even Flo seemed rather confused at this odd call and she looked ready to say something into the phone. But it suddenly dawned on Steve what was happening.

            “Ma’am,” Steve spoke quickly. “I’m going to ask a few questions, and all you need to do is say yes or no, alright?”

            “Yes.”

            “Are you in trouble?” Steve asked carefully.

            “Yes.”

            “Is there someone in the house with you?”

            “Yes.”

            “Is this person a threat?”

            “Yes.”

            “Alright,” Steve pulled out a slip of paper. “I just need an address and your pizza should arrive soon Ma’am.”

            The address in hand, Powell, Callahan and Hopper were off. Steve found himself pacing the whole time, waiting for something. It was at least twenty minutes later when Hopper and Powell returned with a man in tow, a very drunk and angry man.     

            “Callahan is helping the woman to the hospital,” Hopper put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “You did good kid. You did really good. But how did you know?”

            “Max was talking about something they learned in school,” Steve said with a hum. “Code words, things to let people know you might be in trouble and help you know how to trust. A common one is peanut butter. You know, as a type of password kids can use to know what adults to trust. It made me think of that.”

            Hopper nodded, taking the report form from Steve. “I’ll take care of this one,” he insisted. “You just sit by the phone.”

            Steve had been filling out the reports for everyone since he got here. He wondered if Hopper or the other two even remembered how to fill out a report. But he let it slide, and he snickered as Powell ended up being the one to handle the plate problem anyway.

\----------------------------------

            It was late one night when a knock came on the door. And Steve knew what to expect as he opened the door to see a panicked Will. And judging by how pale Will was, it was another Mind-Flayer dream. Those were the most severe, Will forced to watch everyone die. As always, Will sat on the counter as Steve worked on food, a soup the best decision for nights like these. The last time Steve had tried to give Will something not soup during a Mind-Flayer dream, Will had thrown it all back up an hour later. Max came down first, instantly going for the phone the moment she saw Will. Holly and Mike came down next, Holly watching Steve make the soup as Mike and Max moved to Will’s side.

            “It didn’t kill you guys right away this time,” Will stated as Steve gave him a bowl. “It toyed with you, ripped you apart and made you guys hurt each other. And I still watched. Watched as you were forced to kill each other and fed yourselves to the demodogs.”

            They didn’t talk much that night, just curled up on the couch and let a movie play. Will clearly didn’t want to go to sleep, and Steve watched as his eyes slowly closed and snapped back open repeatedly. The other three had already drifted.

            “Nothing I can say will fix it,” Steve said softly. “There are no words that can stop the nightmares.”

            Will looked up at Steve, and Steve stared back with the gentlest look he could manage. Because there was nothing he could say, nothing that could stop the nightmares. Nothing that could take away Will’s fears. But he could ease them. Leaning forward, Steve placed a soft kiss to Will’s forehead and pulled the boy in close.

            “But we will never let you suffer alone,” Steve whispered into Will’s hair. “We are right here. I promise.”

            Watching Will curl into him and fall asleep made Steve smile. He couldn’t keep the nightmares away, no one could do that, not like in stories. But he could be there when they happened.

            El was making pancakes in his kitchen the next morning. Which was extremely alarming as he knew he hadn’t let her in last night. But they were some good pancakes. He’d let Hopper scold her for breaking and entering when he got off work.

\--------------------------

            Steve had absolutely no idea how he got into this situation. Well, actually he did. But that was completely beside the point. He’d been dropping off food at the Byers house, as he always did, when he noticed that the front door was slightly open. He knew Joyce worked late and that Will was with Dustin working on a school project. So Steve was rather confused about why the door was open. Especially with the Byers’ recent history.

            Using his foot, Steve did his best to push the door open to get a peek inside. There weren’t any lights on either. But there was definitely someone in the house.

            “Jonathan!” Steve called out, instantly regretting it.

            But he had some comfort in not seeing any of the lights flash. Stepping into the house, Steve called Jonathan’s name a few more times as he flipped on lights and set the pot down. When there was still no response after the fifth call, Steve let himself listen.

            It honestly sounded like, oh.

            Racing through the house, Steve threw the second door open to see Jonathan curled over himself. His breaths were ragged, and Steve knew why Jonathan hadn’t heard him. It was a panic attack, or an anxiety attack. But that didn’t matter as Steve slowly crouched by Jonathan’s side.

            “Hey,” Steve cooed softly as he got his hands under Jonathan’s arms. “Hey, man, you gotta stand up. You gotta breathe. Come on.”

            The last bit was said a bit strained as Steve tried to lift Jonathan up. It took a bit too much effort, but Jonathan was in a somewhat standing position. His breath was still ragged, and his eyes were wild.

            “Come on Jonathan,” Steve probes gently. “Let’s play a game. Okay? Just a quick one.”

            “What?” Jonathan gasped out, his ragged breathing never stopping.

            Steve grinned. “Yeah, a game. Alright? Five things you can see.”

            “I-” Jonathan tried. “I don’t-”

            “It’s okay,” Steve said softly. “Let’s start with me. You can see me, yeah?” Jonathan gave a slight nod. “Yeah. Now what else? What else can you see with just your eyes?”

            “You,” Jonathan repeated as he tried to match his breathing to Steve’s. “My bed. My camera. Um, the pillow. A t-shirt.”

            “Good,” Steve says. “Let’s keep going. Four things you can feel.”

            “Steve?”

            “It’s okay,” Steve pressed softly. “Come on, man. Four things you can feel.”

            “Your shirt,” Jonathan said, his breathing sort of getting better now. “The carpet. The cold air. Um, I don’t-”

            “Your shirt, right,” Steve offered softly. “You can feel that, right?” Steve offered a soft grin as Jonathan nodded. “Alright, three things you can hear.”

            “You,” Jonathan tried. “Um, bugs, the cicadas. And, um, I can hear the um, the refrigerator.”

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded. “See, your getting good at this. “Okay, two things you can smell.”

            “Hairspray,” Jonathan answered immediately, “and camera ink.”

            Steve carefully helped Jonathan sit on the edge of the bed, the boy’s breathing finally settling. “Good, job. One more round. One thing you feel. One emotion.”

            “Uh,” Jonathan had to stop here, looking a little lost. “Confused.”

            “Alright,” Steve sat beside Jonathan. “You good? Or do you want to try again?”

            “I-” and for a moment Steve thought Jonathan was going to panic again. “What was that?”

            Steve grinned. “It’s called grounding. People use it with soldiers who have panic attacks. I learned it to help Mike after the whole event at the Wheeler’s the first time around. It helps you focus your thoughts, sort of.”

            Jonathan nodded, letting out a cough. Steve frowned as he moved Jonathan to a stand again and maneuvered the other boy into the kitchen. Steve had just handed Jonathan a glass of water when a knock came at the door.

            Steve ended up being the one to let Nancy in, and once she was in, Steve bid goodbye. He figured Nancy could aide her boyfriend through the recovery process. Once in his car and far enough away from the Byers house, Steve pulled over. Gripping the steering wheel, Steve tried to gain hold of his own breathing. He still hadn’t told anyone of the anxiety attacks that started a few months ago. Mike, Max, and Holly still hadn’t seen them. No one had. He hadn’t learned for Mike, he’d learned for himself.

            Driving home, Steve went straight for the phone. Mike, Max, and Holly were all watching a movie downstairs, so Steve went to the phone in his father’s study. Steve honestly couldn’t remember the last time he stepped foot into this office. But he needed the privacy, and his kids knew to avoid this room.

            “Erin?” Steve spoke softly as he heard the familiar voice. “I know it’s getting late, but can we do what did in the hospital. Just, over the phone.”

            _“Of course.”_

\-------------------------------

            Things were okay. Actually, they were better than okay as Steve had Mike, Holly, and Max with him at dinner. He wasn’t entirely sure what brought on this thought, or why it suddenly meant so much. But he had realized something. His house was no longer quiet. There was no more silence. And that was the best thing Steve could think of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. See. Not fluffy. I have a request though. As I have said in a few other notes, I like to write my chapters in advance, edit them, and post a day at a time. For this story I am writing 38-40 chapters. It wavers so there isn't a set end yet. However, I want to keep writing and I need help determining which of two stories I should write first because I am almost done writing all the chapters for this one. If you guys could vote in the comments, I would appreciate it. See below:
> 
> 1.) Ever since the gate closed, Dustin has found himself spending more time with Steve Harrington. It becomes a common occurrence Steve is resigned too for Dustin to just show up at any hour of the day. But Dustin has never met Steve's parents or respected family. That changes in 1985, close to graduation, when Dustin goes to Steve's to find him not home. But Steve's mother is home. And she's not the jerk Dustin pictured. And as she tells him about Steve's family, Dustin finds himself wanting to meet all of the Harrington kids.
> 
> 2.) No one ever wants to be punched to the point of a concussion and unconsciousness, but Steve can't really say he is upset about it. Who knew a hard hit to the head could undo the work of a man who wanted to make sure Steve would never remember his mistake. Or his past. And all it took was taking Billy's hit for Steve to remember everything. And he has never hated anyone more as he stared down at his wrist with a glaring tattoo he revealed through carefully plastered prosthetics. 005.
> 
> Comment which you wish for first. I'm not the type of person to write two at a time, but there will need to be character work for both. There will not be a love interest for either as of right now. Both are solely about family. My favorite thing to write about.


	15. Gone And Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El goes missing and Steve absolutely did not have a panic attack in front of the remaining five kids. Totally not. It's not like El likes to hitchhike for days on end or anything. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there appears to be some confusion on the note left at the end of chapter 14. I will indeed be writing both stories, however, I just wanted you guys to help me chose which story to write first. If you have no idea what I am talking about, jump back a chapter and read the note at the bottom of the page.
> 
> For those of you who know what I am talking about, I will give it about a week or two to get all the comments before I tell you which story I will write first.

            Steve was absolutely, positively, _not_ panicking. No, his pacing had nothing to do with the current problem at hand. No, his hand running through his hair every five minutes was not a nervous habit. Steve Harrington was 100% fine. Or, that was what he had been telling himself the last three days.

            Five teenagers and one child sat in his living room, watching him. And that was exactly the problem. There should have been _six_ teenagers and one child in his living room. El was _missing._ And honestly, Steve wished this was just a thing limited to Hawkins, but apparently, El liked to hitch-hike.

            So, really, Steve was panicking way too much. Hopper had finally broadened his search with Joyce to a town over, and Nancy and Jonathan were in another town. And Steve’s one job was to make sure the kids didn’t do anything stupid. Which was working out well, sort of.

            The only reason the kids hadn’t tried to run off to find El was because when they tried, Steve had an anxiety attack. He’d been so good at hiding them too. But the kids trying to disappear had been the final straw and Dustin had been the one to walk in on Steve’s attack. Steve had spent an hour on the phone with Erin after the kids pulled him out of the attack. Talking to Erin calmed him down and had become a habit since the night Steve first called her.

            Which was why Erin was in the house now, handing him a water bottle as the kids watched. Erin had decided she was coming over, having already moved in for college, the moment they were about to hang up. To Steve’s surprise, the kids were all waiting for him in the living room. He thought they would try to run off again.

            “Steve,” Erin coaxed softly, guiding him into a chair. “Breathe, Steve, come on.”

            Steve took a deep breath, and felt his lungs burn. How long had he been holding his breath? He honestly wasn’t sure.

            A knock on the door had Steve bolting up, but Erin shoved him back down with a sharp glare. Erin and Mike ended up walking to the door together, and the gasp Mike audibly gave had Steve and the others at the door too.

            El and Mike were hugging each other tightly. And beside them was a girl who seemed rather uncomfortable rocking a goth look. El pulled away from Mike and tugged the girl forward.

            “This is my sister, Kali,” El insisted, and all of the teens glanced down at her wrist. “She needs a place to stay.” El said this to Steve before turning to Erin. “Hi.”

            “Hey, Ellie,” Erin smiled softly. “How are you?”

            El smiled back. “Okay.”

            Erin met El at the hospital by chance. It was one of the days El had insisted on going to see Max, and Steve had been walking back to the room with Erin. Erin still didn’t know about El though. And that was fine. Sort of.

            Steve was still trying to process El’s request as he suddenly ushered everyone inside. Kali seemed to scrunch up her nose at the décor. Not that Steve honestly cared. Kali could steel whatever she liked and Steve would be okay with it. Just as long as she didn’t touch Mike, Max, or Holly’s things.

            Steve instantly spun on El. “You, young lady, are in serious trouble. Now we need to figure out how to contact Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan.”

            El gave him a look. But Steve just made a motion to Erin and threw his hands in the air. So he turned to Kali, who still looked uncomfortable.

            “Would you like something to eat or drink?” he asked. “I already know El wants Eggos, but would you like something?”

            “Water,” Kali said, her voice strong and defiant.

            Steve watched Erin cock an amused brow. And Steve just rolled his eyes at her as he went to get water and Eggos ready.

            “I like your hair,” Holly smiled at Kali before spinning towards Steve. “Can I have purple too?”

            “Maybe when your older sweetie,” Steve shrugged.

            “And why not,” Kali snapped.

            Steve stared at her for a moment. “Because I don’t know a hair stylist in Hawkins who would die a toddler’s hair, even if she is almost five. And I certainly don’t trust myself to die her hair. Or Erin. No offense.”

            “We both know Thomas is the stylist in my family,” Erin shrugged. “So none taken.”

            “And there is no way I am letting these six anywhere near hair dye,” Steve pointed out. “They’d probably dye their whole bodies.”

            Kali seemed to shrink in on herself, not entirely sure how to take that response. Steve glanced down at her wrist again as he set the water on the counter. Steve wondered how long she had been so hostile.

            “We need to call Hopper,” Dustin was insisting as Steve brought Eggos and popcorn into the living room where the kids had retreated.

            “We _can’t_ do that with _Erin_ here,” Mike must have said for the thousandth time. “How would she react.”

            “I want to tell Erin,” El said, making any and all argument stop. “She’s nice. She could help.”

            “Help how?” Max asked skeptically. “The gate is closed. It’s over.”

            El smiled. “She wants to travel,” El said simply. “See things. She could find others. Like me. Like Kali. She can help Steve better too.”

            Steve left them too their argument as he went back to the kitchen with Erin and Kali. Kali had propped herself up against the counter, and Holly had passed Steve to join her brother in the living room. Erin had sat down at the table, reading a book she must have stuffed in her purse. Steve grinned slightly at the cover.

            “If the kids saw you reading that, you would be there favorite person in the world,” Steve said as she lifted her head from _The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring._

            “It’s a good story,” Erin grinned haughtily at him. “I’ve read it a few times. You’d know if you actually read anything. Have you read it Kali?”

            “I,” Kali began as she looked at the book. “Yes, my friend taught me to read it. I like the books.”

            And if the statement was odd, Erin didn’t seem to mind. She grinned and pretended like she had won an argument.

            “You should read it,” Erin insisted. “Shouldn’t he read it Kali?”

            “Yes?” Kali said, almost unsure.

            “See!” Erin thrust the book towards his chest.

            “Don’t take her side!” Steve whined. “Now she’s going to make me read it!”

            And Kali, well, Kali smiled at them. It was small, and they almost missed it. But it was definitely a smile. Neither of the three realized that the six teens were watching. There was one thing Steve was sure of, Erin had wanted Kali to smile.

            He grinned at Erin, praise in his gaze as Kali moved to talk to a beckoning El.

            Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy showed up at Steve’s late that night. Which was a good thing as Steve was making a late dinner. Mike and Dustin had pulled Steve away from the others and talked to him about a plan. It was a terrible plan, but Steve couldn’t say no. So they ate dinner, no one but Jane, Erin, and Steve talking to Kali. And it was fine. The kids and Kali settled to sleep and the adults eventually fell asleep too. So Steve and Erin went on a walk at one in the morning.

            They stopped at the gate of Hawkins lab. And Steve told her everything. Deep down, even though Steve knew he could lose Erin for this, he was glad he told her. No more secrets on his end.

\------------------------

            “I’m sorry, Steve,” Dustin said, not meeting the older’s eyes. “I should have thought before I pressed it. We _all_ should have thought.”

            Steve let out a rather exasperated sigh. “Just don’t do it again.” Steve hissed as Joyce pressed a cloth to the burn on Steve’s hand. “I’d honestly like to know _what_ you were thinking.”

            They were having a bonfire, trying to lift Kali’s morbid spirits. And one of the kids, Steve still wasn’t sure who started it, decided it was a great idea to catch a stick on fire and toss it between them. Dustin had thought it would be funny to toss the stick at Steve. Steve had not caught the stick right and had a rather severe burn on his hand now. Steve, and everyone else, had completely panicked. At least, until Kali had used her powers of illusion to make him think there was no pain. He’d had her stop so Joyce could properly assess the damage, but he made sure to thank her.

            With his hands wrapped and the kids introducing Kali to ghostbusters, Steve made his way into his dad’s office and picked up the phone.

            _“Remind me why I chose to take a summer class again?”_

            Steve grinned at the familiar voice on the other end. “Because you’re an idiot.”

            _“Ouch,”_ Erin mocked. _“Okay, but seriously, what did you do? You sound like you screamed yourself dry.”_

            “Apparently,” Steve said dryly. “That is what happens when your kids decide to set you on fire.”

            _“What?”_

            Erin hadn’t called him crazy. Erin hadn’t left. She’d listened. There was doubt in her mind, would always be a doubt the monsters existed. But, as she said herself, whether these things were real or not, they were haunting Steve, and she would help him through it all. No matter how crazy it sounded. Both Kali and El showed off their powers the next morning, much to the adult’s protest. Erin just marvels at it. Erin had to head back to her dorm that afternoon, but they called around the same time every night.

            “I am never hosting a bonfire again,” Steve stated simply. “Ever. Again.”

            And Erin laughs on the other end of the phone. It was an amazing sound that made Steve smile brightly and forget the pain in his hand.

            “Go out with me?”

            And the words were so sudden, Steve wished he could take them back. Wished he hadn’t. Because what he had with Erin was raw and amazing, and Steve _needed_ that. But now he’d asked something stupid. Something that could ruin everything.

            _“Yes.”_

            The smile on Steve’s face was far too bright as he came and joined the kids on the couch. But he wouldn’t say anything. Just smiled like the sun had been shinning all day and the kids hadn’t mutilated his hand. Because in two weeks, he would be going on a date with Erin Cross.

\----------------------

            “You’re not like most adults.”

            Steve turned from where he was working on a pork roast. He’d been in the mood for pork recently and this one had looked really tender at the store. But his attention was diverted to Kali, who was watching him carefully. Almost warily.

            “Thanks, I think?” Steve cocked his head. “Do you need help with something?”

            Kali shook her head. “My friends and I aren’t really nice people.”

            “Kali,” Steve turned fully to the girl. “Are you alright?”

            Again, Kali shook her head. “My whole life I thought adults couldn’t be trusted,” Kali said, and Steve felt this was personal. He had no idea why Kali was telling _him_ this. “I thought adults always tried to say they knew what was best. Every adult I met was like that. But not you. You’re different. I want to thank you for showing me adults can be different.”

            Steve blinked, but nodded at Kali. “Anytime, I guess.”

            “I’m leaving tomorrow,” Kali said. “There is something I need to do.”    

            And this, this is something Steve could do. He strode forward and smiled at Kali. “Okay,” he said softly. “Whatever you need. But if you ever need a place to stay, my door is always open. And between you and me, there is a key I keep in a brick under the doorbell.”

            Kali gave him an odd look.

            “I was a very forgetful person before I had three kids,” Steve grinned and turned back to the pork. “But seriously, Kali. If you ever need anything, you or your friends are welcome here.”

            “I don’t think you would like my friends,” Kali said softly. “They are different.”

            “And I fought monsters from another dimension with a bat full of nails,” Steve shot back. “And El likes your friends. Says they’re interesting.”

            Steve caught the slightest hint of a twitch from Kali’s lips, and he grinned in triumph. Dinner was nice. The three kids in Steve’s care had warmed up to Kali’s presence. But she said her goodbyes, and that night, at two in the morning, she was gone. Steve knew because he stayed up to bid goodbye to her, handing her his old backpack with supplies.

            And she offered one last smile before she ducked out.

\----------------------------

            “Do you think she’ll come back?” Dustin asked one day as he was dropping the kids off at Will’s. Steve, after all, did have a job now.

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded. “I think she will. Someday.”

            El nodded her head in agreement, offering him a grateful smile as the kids scrambled out of the car.

            El had told him the truth about Kali later. How she hunted down people who worked for Brenner and killed them. And though Steve was not fond of the killing part, he wasn’t going to scold Kali for it. How could he? If he had the chance, Steve couldn’t say he _wouldn’t_ kill Doctor Brenner. Especially if it was to protect his kids.

            El had been observing her sister off and on since the night they closed the gate. And El had seen her sister afraid, and terrified. Her friends were in jail, and Kali was alone. So El had gone to her and brought her to a place El knew would be the safest without restrictions. Steve had been the best option because he wasn’t as strict as Hopper and not as touchy as Joyce.

            “Yeah,” he said to himself. “She’ll be back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! I have a Kali! I realize a lot of people don't like Kali, and she is abusive, but I think Kali needed to see that there was good in the world. And what better good than Steve raising several children who had a harsh hand dealt to them. 
> 
> Plus, Erin knows now. Much to the protest of some. Let's be honest, El would totally be a shipper.


	16. Not Their Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was inevitable. Steve just sort of knew it would happen eventually, he just wasn't sure when. It started out as a good day, but slowly, that changed with one person. Karen Wheeler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally none of my chapters have good vibes. Nearly killed off a character or two in the chapter I am currently working on. But that isn't for another five chapters or so. If you can't tell, it's been a long day.

            It was a slow day at the station, not that Steve was complaining at the lack of phone calls and problems. No, he was using the time to plan out a date for next week. However, Hopper was sitting bored out of his mind, clearly thinking about Jane and the upcoming reveal. Powell and Callahan were throwing things in a waste basket, one of them threw a stapler at one point, and it was currently sticking to the wall. And Flo had fallen asleep. Not that Steve could blame her. The woman was old, and had no family left in Hawkins. Steve would have completely taken her job if not for the age requirement and Flo’s undying determination. So Steve was content as an intern, watching his bored work mates do whatever they felt like.

            Until the door to the station was roughly slammed open.

            “Mike?” Steve gasped as he watched the boy race into the room, looking around frantically.

            Mike’s eyes grew wider as he raced behind Steve, fisting into his jacket. Steve barely got a good look at him, but he saw the damage. Mike’s pants leg was torn at the knee, and from what Steve could see, the knee itself was scraped. Hopefully nothing too terrible. But Steve was bristling. He’d heard of the school bullies and was prepared to put those twerps in their place. He did not expect for the person to come in that did.

            “Karen,” Hopper’s voice was cold as Steve suddenly backed Mike against a wall.

            But Karen ignored Hopper and stepped towards where Mike was peeking out behind Steve. She didn’t get very far as Callahan and Powell blocked her path.

            “Get out of my way,” Karen snapped angrily. “I want to see my son!”

            “I’m afraid that isn’t possible ma’am,” Callahan spoke firmly. “You no longer have a son. And you are in direct violation of the restraining order.”

            Karen was not having any of it.

            “That is my son!” Karen shoved both Callahan and Powell out of the way. “Not Steve Harrington’s. I am going to talk to _my_ son!”

            There was a whimper from Mike and Steve had bolted with Mike under his arms. The four kids allowed in public had just pulled up on their bikes and skateboard. Will had Holly on his bike as they stopped to see Steve have race/half drag Mike out of the office. There was yelling inside, and all the kids piled into Steve’s car. If there was one thing Steve was grateful for, it was Holly turning five and demanding the car seat be gone. He had been hesitant at first, but he figured he’d give it a try. He had never been more grateful, or the kids wouldn’t have all fit. He really needed that mini-van.

            With Mike still panicking and the kids all trying to calm him down, Holly’s dumb song seeming to be the only thing to work, they went to the one place that Steve knew Karen would never find them. Mike and El were hugging each other the moment they stepped in the door. And not for the first time, Steve frowned at Hopper’s lack in proper food.

            By the time Hopper got back, with the proper food Steve demanded he bring; Joyce, Nancy and Jonathan were already there. And there was a very intense game of team up Monopoly happening on the floor of the cabin. Will was schooling everyone into deals and Steve feared the child becoming a business man. Because despite how good Will was at wrapping people around his fingers, the role of business did not fit the youngest Byers in the slightest.

            So Steve made food as he listened to the outrageous game in the living room of Hopper’s cabin. And hearing Mike laugh made him relax a little.

\-------------------------------

            _“She did_ what? _”_ Erin demanded on the other end of the phone.

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded. “Mike’s bike is busted too. From what I gather, she showed up at the diner they were having lunch at and the other four tried to stall while Mike ran. The stalling didn’t last long, and Mike barely cut enough yards to make it the station without Karen grabbing him.”

            _“But don’t you have a restraining order?”_ Erin pressed, clearly seething.

            They did have a restraining order. They got it in hopes to ease Mike’s nightmares. Karen and Ted weren’t aloud anywhere near Mike, Holly, or Nancy unless it was by accident. And this had not been an accident. Or Steve’s consent as their legal guardian.

            _“What are you going to do?”_

            “I don’t know?” Steve said honestly. “Right now I’m just going to keep Mike and Holly close.”

            Erin seemed to agree with his half-formed plan and the two said goodbye. Mike, Holly, and Max were already asleep in Steve’s bed when he walked into the room. And quite honestly, Steve did not sleep at all that night. He honestly half expected Karen Wheeler to suddenly show her face at his window. That doesn’t happen, and he is beyond grateful.

\----------------------------------

            The next afternoon found him at the arcade, picking up Mike, Max and any of the other kids who wanted to go with him. Mike had decided not to press charges, and after much convincing, Steve relented. His gaze swept the parking lot for Karen as the kids slowly poured out of the arcade. They looked as weary as Steve felt.

            And it was at that moment that Karen stepped across the road from a nearby gas station. The kids were in Steve’s car in seconds, but it was too late to pull away. Dustin was fumbling for Steve’s car radio, something Hopper insisted Steve had in case of emergencies.

            “Steve,” Karen’s cold tone made Steve tense more. “I want to see my son.”

            “And seeing him while he has a panic attack is a good idea,” Steve stated flatly. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

            “He’s _my_ son!” Karen yelled. “You cannot keep my own son away from me!”

            “You lost that right when you beat your children to near death!” Steve screamed back. “Now get away from my kids!”

            Steve swore he could see red flash in Karen’s eyes before Steve felt a stinging pain in his cheek. Karen had struck him, her ring cutting into his cheek. And other than getting his head jerked to the side, Steve didn’t flinch.

            “Give me my son!” Karen screeched.

            Steve just jerked his head back, exposing his neck to Karen as he blocked both doors that would get Karen to her son. No, not her son. Steve’s kids, he wasn’t letting Karen anywhere near _his_ kids. Karen looked dead ready to attack Steve again when Keith jerked her back. Someone else came to Keith’s aid then, holding Karen back as she yelled profanities to the wind. Hopper arrived seconds later.

\---------------------------------

            “There we go,” Joyce hummed as she finished putting the bandage on Steve’s cheek. “It should be just fine.”

            The cut had been shallow, and Steve didn’t think it would scare, but disinfecting it had been a real pain. He’d kicked the kids to Will’s room the moment Joyce got the rubbing alcohol. He’d bit down on his shirt sleeve the whole time to not scare the kids with his cries. Alcohol burned.

            “Thanks,” Steve nodded with a soft smile.

            This time, they pressed charges. But Steve was debating on dropping them. Ted had said Karen had basically gone stir crazy not being able to take care of her children. Not being able to see them. It had driven the woman to a new edge and she was going to be sent to therapy. Yeah, Steve was dropping the charges. With Karen in therapy, it would be a while before they group would see her again, and Ted tended to live in either his house or office so the kids would be safe.

            Steve hugged Holly close as he stepped into Will’s room and beamed at the other six kids. A thought struck him.

            “I need to replace your bike,” Steve hummed towards Mike. “Tomorrow?”

            “What?” Mike gaped at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do we think of Karen?


	17. Trying Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's extremely insecure. Far too insecure. But for tonight, he just wants to enjoy that date with Erin. If only the universe didn't have it out for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly fluff. I made it sound more dramatic than it actually is.
> 
> So, I'm trying a thing where I respond to a few comments. I apologize if I don't respond to at least one of your comments. That is my goal though. I am trying.

            This was beyond different, and Steve wasn’t even sure what to think. He was going on a date, an actual date with someone he cared about. And this wasn’t a once and done thing either. The last time Steve had actually tried to go on an actual date was Nancy, and everyone had seen how that ended.

            “You’ve changed at least _five_ times,” Mike complained as Steve came downstairs for who knew how many times. “Honestly just breathe.”

            Steve just glared at him. But looking at his three kids, they all seemed relatively exasperated with him. Max finally walked up the stairs, grumbling about picking his clothes. Steve and Erin had agreed on a casual date, and Steve was not sure what counted as casual. The problem was, Steve wasn’t sure how to do a casual date. Mike was quick to follow Max upstairs, and Steve slowly followed them.

            Ten minutes later, Steve was in a pair of jeans and a green sweater. It was hard to believe fall was coming, which meant school and all sorts of other fun things. Holly would be starting Kindergarten. That was an interesting thought. But that wasn’t the point of tonight. School shopping could wait for now as he prepared for a date.

            He felt better after the kids help, but his heart rate went up as the doorbell rang.

            To his relief and confusion, it wasn’t Erin.

            “Mrs. Byers?” Steve questioned. “Jonathan? Will? What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing, sweetheart,” Joyce beamed like a proud mother. “You’re going on a date. We wanted to make sure you were ready.”

            “Plus we figured we could babysit the kids,” Jonathan muttered. “Someone has to make sure they don’t get into trouble while you are gone. And we both know they’re all going to show up here later while you are out.”

            Steve grimaced. He was going to be hounded when he got home. He was not looking forward to that part.

            A second knock at the door had Steve tripping over himself.

            “Hey,” Erin grinned, clad in a pair of jeans and a simple gray sweater.

            “Hey,” Steve grinned back. “Are you ready to go?”

            Erin grinned at him as she gave a nod. Giving a charming smile back, Steve offered his arm to Erin. And she looped her arm through his, Steve felt his charming smile become genuine as he walked her to the car. A friend had dropped Erin off and Steve would take her off, after he took her around Hawkins.

            Benny’s was the start, a great start as they laughed and chucked fries at each other. They got kicked out of Benny’s, but they both agreed it was worth it. They spent an hour driving around Hawkins after that, just driving and singing along to a mixtape Steve had swiped from Jonathan. Well, Will had swiped it and slipped it in Steve’s pocket for the date.

            They eventually stopped at an ice cream shop and spent forever in a book store Steve didn’t even know they had. But he watched as Erin’s face lit up at books and made notes of the one’s she seemed to like the most. He ended up buying her a copy of the _Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien. The absolute glee on her face was enough to take his breath away.

            They ended the night by strolling in the park, late at night when no one is around. It’s dark, and Steve would honestly hate it if Erin’s hand wasn’t in his. If her breathing and laughter weren’t filling the silence. On a whim, he lifts her up and spins her around. Officer Powell greets them on a call of disturbance, but he lets them go. Steve gets them out of there before Powell can make any crude comments. The drive back to Erin’s dorm is nice too. Really, really nice. Because it’s filled with chatter and giggles and no silence.

            And Steve dreaded the moment they pulled up to Erin’s college.

            “I had fun tonight,” Erin’s voice cut through the ever-growing silence. “It wasn’t bad for my first ever date.”

            “Your what?” Steve bulked. “You’ve never been on a date before?”

            “Nope,” Erin grinned. “This was great, Steve. Thank you.”

            And the smile on Steve’s face was only there for a few minutes before Erin leaned in and captured his lips with her own. It took a moment, but Steve quickly kissed back, cupping her cheek as he kept the kiss light. Erin was also the first to pull back.

            “That was my first kiss too,” Erin grinned, her blue eyes locking his brown.

            “Then why not a second?” Steve smiled and leaned in again.

            It was far more passionate this time. He kissed her again as she tried to pull away, but there was no protest as Erin kissed right back.

            “Wow,” Steve breathed as he pulled away.

            “Yeah,” Erin smiled, her lips still barely touching his own. “Wow. Pretty sure that was three kisses though.”

            Steve just smirked as he pecked her lips. Walking her to the door was practically a daze as he beamed the entire time. And of course, he made sure to give her a kiss at the door. And for once, the silence of the two hour drive home wasn’t overbearing. He couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. Well, until he got home.

            “So,” Joyce grinned happily. “How did it go?”

            There were more people in Steve’s house than when he left. And that was the worst thing that could happen. Especially after a date.

\-------------------------------------

            Mike, Max, and Holly watched as Steve made breakfast mechanically the next morning. Last night had been a disaster with the questions, and Steve still wasn’t talking to them. Breakfast, for once, actually tasted terrible.

            “Are you sad, Steve?” Holly asked softly as Steve moved to climb back upstairs.

            Steve didn’t even acknowledge them. Well, that would have been nicer than the slam of Steve’s bedroom door. All three kids winced and there were tears in Holly’s eyes. Dustin was at the Harrington house ten minutes later.

            “This is awful,” Dustin scrunched up his face as he tasted what was left of breakfast. Which was most of it. “Dude, we really messed up.”

            “Really, Dustin,” Mike felt the sarcasm drip down his voice. “We had _no_ idea.”

            Scowling, Dustin walked up the stairs and into Steve’s bedroom. Grabbing a pillow, Dustin began to aggressively slam it onto Steve’s head.

            “Get up, Steve!” Dustin screamed. “You need to get up! You have work!”

            “Get. Out.”

            “No,” Dustin said flatly as he pulled Steve up against the head bored. “Now look me in the eye.”

            Steve scowled but met Dustin’s gaze with a cold stare. Dustin patted Steve’s head as he gave his signature smile. Steve just glared.

            “Did you have fun last night?” Dustin asked, crossing his arm over his chest.

            “Dustin-”

            “No, Steve,” Dustin said firmly as he grabbed either side of Steve’s face. “Did you have fun last night? Answer the question honestly.”

            “Yes,” Steve admitted.

            “Did anything go wrong on the date?” Dustin pressed.

            “No.”

            “Then stop mopping and enjoy your day,” Dustin stated with a huff. “You had your first good date in a while. Focus on that. I’m sure Erin is.”

            Steve was on his way to work with a proper breakfast on the table within an hour. Work was rather awkward as Steve refused to even acknowledge Hopper, and everyone seemed to pick up on it. Because the news of the date was only between those Steve was closest too, only Hopper and Steve had any idea as to what Hopper did to make Steve angry.

            “Kid,” Hopper tried when he first walked in.

            Steve immediately stood up and went to talk to Callahan. The rest of the day followed much the same way. Hopper trying to talk to Steve, and Steve actively avoiding him. After an entire morning of the awkward day, Hopper finally had enough.

            “Kid,” he quickly grabbed Steve’s arm before he could talk. “I just want to say I’m sorry. What we did, it went too far, and I’m sorry.”

            “And you think that just makes everything okay?” Steve hissed angrily, ignoring everyone’s eyes on them. “The questions were fine. Those were normal. But then you guys kept pushing. You took it took far.”

            “Steve-”

            “No,” Steve bit, yanking his arm from Hopper’s hold. “You went too far. You all went too far. So just back off.”

            Hopper took a step back with a pained sigh. “Okay, kid. Why don’t you go home? I think you need it.”

            Steve huffed and grabbed his coat as he made his way to the door.

            “And kid,” Hopper called out. Steve turned, his gaze blank as he watched them. “I truly am sorry.”

            Steve, again, didn’t say anything. It had been a joke, had been said teasingly. But boy did it sting. Steve scowled at the implication that had been brought up after he got home. Because it stung, and he feared what it said about him more than anything. What it meant for him and Erin. He fell asleep with self-hatred in his mind and tears on his face.

            “Steve?” a voice woke Steve up a few hours later. “Hey, Steve, can you wake up, please?”

            Dustin was once more hunched over Steve, shaking him awake rather than with the pillow. He was smiling again, and Steve hated the fact that he felt like slapping that smile off Dustin’s face.

            “Someone wants to see you,” Dustin beamed brightly. “I think you’ll like this person too, just don’t get mad.”

            Steve was already mad, but Dustin was out of the room in seconds and someone else walked in. Correction: Erin Cross walked into the room. Her gaze was soft as she came and sat at his side, smiling back with an equal softness.

            “Hey,” she whispered as Steve pushed himself up against the head bored. “How are you?”

            Steve couldn’t look her in the eye. “What did they tell you?”

            Erin adjusted herself, leaning against Steve’s side as she sighed. “Enough,” she hummed. “But Steve, look at me.”

            Steve let her lift his chin, let his gaze drown in her light blue eyes that reminded him of a stormy sky when the blue pushed through. And he let her press their foreheads together as they matched the breaths of the other person.

            “Don’t let your past drag you down, Steve,” Erin whispered softly. “Sure, maybe you slept around, maybe you picked up girls like people spent cash, but you’re not like that anymore. You’re better, different. A good different. And I like the Steve I have come to know so much that I would love to go on a second date with you.”

            “Really?” Steve breathed, opening his eyes, though he couldn’t remember when he had shut them.

            “Really,” Erin smiled, pulling away, though Steve tried to follow her. “I don’t know what you were like before Steve, but I know you now. And I think the you now is amazing and wonderful. The kids love you, and you have so many people who love you. Including me?”

            Steve grinned softly, leaning forward and capturing Erin’s lips with his own.

            “Thank you,” Steve hummed against her lips.

            Erin smiled against the kiss before nestling against his chest. They sat like that, leaning against the head bored as Erin nestled in his arms. At least, until Holly eagerly pushed open the door.

            “Dinner’s ready!” Holly yelled excitedly as she jumped onto the bed. “No more sleeping! Time for food!”

            Steve paled quickly. “Please tell me your brother and his friends didn’t try to cook.”

            Holly just giggled as she raced downstairs, yelling at them to hurry up. Erin’s hand found its way into Steve’s hair, gently fixing the mess that came when Steve had gone back to sleep. And then she was tugging him downstairs, an eager smile on his face.

            Thankfully, it turned out that the monster hunting Party had decided to order take out. Steve was tense around them, but Erin rubbing circles on the back of the hand he clutched tightly was a welcome comfort. By the end of the night, Steve was back to normal, having forgiven the others for the comments that were thrown out the night before. And when no one was looking, or at least, he hoped no one was looking, Steve would plant a kiss on Erin’s cheeks, forehead, knuckles, and palms. At the end of the night, not only had everyone been forgiven, but Erin received her seventh ever kiss.

            Steve was visibly happier the next day at work, leaving his co-workers completely confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See. Mostly fluff. Insecure Steve. And a date. Steve deserves someone to love him who isn't just a love interest, and Erin is going to start doing some cool stuff soon.


	18. The Daughter That Is Not His

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El is finally out in the world, only, everyone seems to think that El is Steve's daughter. Steve isn't entirely sure why that is. However, there are some dark secrets among the group. Darker than any of them would have liked. Some come to light in terrible ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll are gonna be so mad!!!!

            Steve’s leg would not stop bouncing as he sat there at his desk, waiting. There were several things he could be doing in that moment, Flo had made sure of that, but he couldn’t be bothered at the moment. His gaze was trained on the door, occasionally shifting to the clock. Today was a very big day. Steve had only just glanced at the clock and was turning back to the door when a small body barreled into him. A breathy laugh escaped Steve as he wrapped his arms around the figure of an amazed and frazzled Eleven.

            Today was El’s first day out into the world. Beyond the cabin and Steve’s house.

\------------------Yesterday Afternoon----------------

            The monster hunting party was all crowded around Steve’s dinning room as Hopper tapped his fingers against the table. No one was entirely sure why Hopper had asked them to come here, but Steve had been left to scramble over something for them all to eat. But he managed, as he always did, and now they were nervously eating and staring at Hopper, who wasn’t eating.

            “I had a talk with Doctor Owens yesterday,” Hopper began slowly, watching as everyone slowly tensed at the name. “He had some interesting news for me.”

            “Is the gate open?” Dustin instantly blurted.

            “No.”

            “Are there still demodogs?” Lucas gasped.

            “No!”

            “Is Will in dang-”

            “Hush!” Steve snapped. “Let him talk!”

            Hopper nodded and cleared his throat. “He thinks El can finally come out of hiding.”

            It was unbearable, the sudden silence that came over the room. And it made Steve’s own breathing hitch. Dustin had to let out a high-pitched cry of glee for Steve to finally be free of the suffocating silence. Only Mike seemed to notice Steve’s odd behavior, but he was too wrapped up in his girlfriend’s freedom to care. For the moment.

            After calming everyone down, Hopper began to speak again. “I figured we would start with the station, then I’d take Steve and myself to show her around town.”

            Steve beamed at El, ruffling her hair as she practically bounced in her seat. Dinner went by much better after the news was out, and the kids were eagerly telling El about all the places they could take her. But Mike kept sending looks to Steve.

            It wasn’t until later that Mike got the chance to corner him. His gaze was the testy gaze that Steve hadn’t seen since he took Mike in.

            “What was that earlier?” Mike snapped angrily, not quite giving Steve a chance to talk. “That look earlier that you gave El?”

            “What look?” Steve frowned in confusion.

            “That look!” Mike snapped. Max had walked into the room, very concerned. Steve was just glad that everyone else had gone home, and Holly was too busy upstairs. Every word Mike shot hit like a blow that pushed Steve. “It was like you were upset or something!”

            Steve hung his head. He had been upset, but not for the reason Mike thought.

            “It’s,” Steve tried, unable to find the right words. “It’s been a while.”

            “What?” Mike snapped. “Are you not happy for her? Do you want her to stay in hiding? Do you not care about her freedom?”

            “This has nothing to do with El!” Steve screamed angrily back. “This literally has nothing to do with El!”

            “Then what, Steve!” Mike snapped back. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

            “Silence!” Steve screamed. “I can’t stand silence!”

            There it was. The only person who new that Steve hated silence was Erin. And now at least two of his kids new. He wasn’t even aware that his feet were carrying him until he was in the woods. With August slowly approaching, the cold was starting to bite. Steve let it as his feet carried him out to the quarry. It had been a while since he had flat out exercised, and his feet gave out as he got to the edge of the quarry. Not that he could bring himself to care. His secret was out now; his greatest fear.

            He wasn’t sure how long he sat at the quarry before he trekked home, but it was late, and he knew Holly would be asleep. He let himself in through the back door, stopping for a moment to rest his feet and absorb the warmth. Then he was upstairs, staring at Mike and Max on his bed.

            “Steve,” Max’s voice was soft as she raced forward to hug him, only to pull back in shock. “You’re freezing!”

            Steve just chuckled and sank on the edge of the bed. Mike didn’t look at him, but his body shook.

            “I talked to Erin,” Mike said softly. “She called while you were out. She, uh, she told us after we pressured her. She told us what silence means to you.” Mike’s head finally whipped up to meet Steve’s tired gaze. “Please don’t be mad at her.”

            “Mike,” Steve sighed and reached forward. Mike tensed as Steve gripped his arm, but he gaped as Steve pulled him against his chest. “I’m not mad.”

            It was one of those rare times that night where Steve got to sleep with his kids. Even Holly had found her way into Steve’s bed that night when Steve woke up the next morning.

\---------------------Present Time-----------------

            It took one look from El to know that she had also talked to Mike that night. Her bright eyes and warm smile were enough to let all the tension fade from Steve. Hopper let out a soft chuckle as hung up his coat and moved to lean on Steve’s desk.

            “And who is this?” Flo asked gently.

            “You take in another kid, Harrington?” Powell asked with a teasing smile on his face.

            “No,” Steve shook his head. “But Hopper did.”

            None of the three were quite sure why the current residents of the police force available were casting them odd looks, but El was giggling.

            “Her name is Jane,” Hopper spoke softly. “Though Joyce’s son and his friends call her El. After her middle name, Eleanor.”

            “And why is this the first time we’ve heard of her?” Powell pressed with a skeptical look to where Steve was showing El around the office.

            “She was abused,” Hopper said softly, lowering his voice. “This is the first time she’s been outside since she came into my care. We needed to make sure she would be able to handle being around people. So I’ve been slowly introducing her to people, making sure she could handle it.”

            “Poor girl,” Flo whispered softly. “What happened to her?”

            Hopper shook his head. “She was used. I’m not sure of the extent, but I know it was bad. She’s got a small education, but not a lot.”

            The group went back to watching Steve show El around. A laugh fell from Steve’s lips as he showed El something. Steve saw the pitying looks almost instantly from the others, but he distracted El, by spinning her around and showing her into Hopper’s office.

            “I take it you want to show her around town?” Flo asked, pulling everyone’s attention away from the office.

            “Yeah,” Hopper nodded, his gaze unmoving from where El’s laughter could be heard. “Figured I’d take Harrington with me too. Just so she has someone else she knows with her.”

            El was on Steve shoulders by the time they burst out of Hopper’s office, and Hopper was blissfully ignoring the mess that meant was present. But he smiled as Steve brought them up towards the group that gathered, and Hopper introduced El to his co-workers. El just smiled softly, offering her hand, but refusing to leave Steve’s shoulders.

            Most people would have thought she was being shy. Steve and Hopper could both see she was just enjoying being tall. In fact, she was rather smug as everyone had to look up to talk to her.

            “Ready kids?” Hopper finally called as he deemed everyone in the office had spent enough time with El.

            Steve finally set El down and the two raced out to Hopper’s car. The day followed much the same way. Hopper would take El to someplace, they would introduce her to some people, and Steve would distract her from the looks of pity as Hopper told her “story”. There was, however, a growing theme. Everyone seemed to think Steve had been the one to adopt El.

            It was in Melvald’s that they saw the first familiar face.

            “Hi, sweetie,” Joyce greeted as El raced into the store. “How are you?”

            “Really good,” El beamed back. “I got a new book too.”

            Joyce grinned right back as she saw El pull the book out of a bag.

            “Did you adopt another kid, Steve?” one of the older ladies in the store asked.

            “Nope,” Steve shook his head, used to the question after being asked it all day. “She’s Hopper’s new daughter. I’m just her babysitter.”

            As Steve and El raced through the store isle, Hopper once more explained El’s cover story to everyone. Steve ended up buying El some chocolate and a snack size bag of chips. It was lunch when the other five kids came to join them for lunch at Benny’s. The rest of the day passed by just as smoothly.

\-----------------------------------

            “Steve?” Mike called as the older boy sat reading in bed. “Can I come in?”

            Steve shifted his weight as he gave Mike permission. He had just put the book on the nightstand when he felt the bed dip under Mike’s weight. Mike gripped onto the covers as he refused to meet Steve’s gaze.

            “It’s okay, Mike,” Steve said softly as he pulled the boy into his chest. “Everything’s okay. I’m not mad. I forgave you, remember?”

            Mike nodded, leaning into to Steve warmth. “It still wasn’t right. Still wasn’t nice.” A shaky breath escaped Mike’s lips for a moment. “I just get so angry, and I don’t know why. I keep hurting people.”

            “Because you loved,” Steve said softly. “And because you lost that love, and now you are afraid that something will take it away again. So you get angry, get defensive.”

            “It’s not right,” Mike said again. “I should have known it was something other than El that had you bothered. And I hurt you.”

            “We all have our fears, Mike,” Steve whispered softly. “That’s normal. And we all react differently to them. You get angry, and I shut down. It’s okay. It may not be right, but it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it.”

            Mike nodded, shifting slightly so his back was to Steve, but he was still cradled to Steve’s chest. His gaze, however, landed on something on Steve’s night stand. Mike jolted up and lunged for the thing, the book Steve had been reading earlier.

            “Is this really “The Two Towers” by J.R.R. Tolkien?” Mike asked as he flipped through the book like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

            “Please don’t tell Erin,” Steve groaned as he threw a pillow over his head. “I really don’t want to inflate her ego.”

            “Why would you reading a book inflate her ego?” Mike frowned at him.

            “Because she still thinks I’m slowly making my way through “The Hobbit” and if she finds out I am ahead, it means she was right,” Steve muttered into the pillow with no idea if Mike could understand him.

            But Mike didn’t say anything else, so Steve didn’t really think he would say anything to Erin. He fell asleep sometime later, unsure if Mike stayed or not.

\-------------------------

            The week, the Party had decided, would be dedicated to showing El all their favorite places. This act would be carried out by Steve, their designated driver. And this was also the first time any of the kids, but Mike, Max, and Holly got to see the mini-van Steve had bought a few weeks prior. It was about time too.

            “Alright,” Steve hummed as they pulled out of the drive way. “Where to first?”

            “Arcade!” came the collective chorus from the kids.

            Steve just grinned at them. They went to the arcade, met Mrs. Henderson’s and the Sinclairs, enjoyed some ice cream in the cold, raced around the park, met people the kids knew, and even bothered Mr. Clarke. It was a wonder that Mr. Clarke hadn’t recognized El as “Eleanor, Mike’s cousin from Sweden”. But Steve wasn’t going to press their luck just yet.

            Steve was very grateful for the mini-van, and the Sinclairs for babysitting Holly for him.

            But it was like a cloud was hanging over Mike the whole time. Steve noticed it first, and El seemed to pick up on it too. Just one glance at El and Steve knew he would need to fix whatever the problem was. But Mike smiled and leaned into El the same as always. It was when no one was looking that a look of forlorn silence fell across Mike’s face. Everyone slowly began to notice it, and each of them gave Steve a look that demanded he fix it.

            It wasn’t until Steve dropped off the others and picked up Holly that Steve had a chance to talk to Mike. Steve ordered Pizza, having two sent to the Byers with specific instructions before he dragged Mike upstairs.

            “Mike,” Steve sighed as they settled onto Steve’s bed. “What’s really bothering you?”

            “You told me your secret,” Mike whispered softly. “You told me your darkest secret and I couldn’t bring myself to tell you mine.”

            Steve blinked as he watched Mike curl in on himself. “Mike,” Steve tried. “You don’t need to do that. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

            “But I do!” Mike cried, meeting Steve’s gaze for the first time since they sat down. Mike launched himself up, ready to pace before Steve pulled him down.

            “No,” Steve insisted softly as he brushed a tear from Mike’s eye. “You don’t. You don’t have to tell me anything until you are ready. And it doesn’t even have to be me. It could be your friends or Mrs. Byers. Just, when you’re ready.”

            Mike nodded, hanging his head. “I want to tell you.”

            And Steve wasn’t sure what to say as Mike told him the truth about the first night with Karen and Ted Wheeler. But he listened and wrapped his arms around Mike as the younger boy spilled his greatest fears.

\-----------------------

            Mike was in his room, not doing anything really when he had heard Holly just wail. He had raced downstairs to see Holly wailing on Karen’s hip, a red mark on Karen’s cheek as Ted just glowered. Mike had instantly rushed forward to relieve Karen of Holly when Karen suddenly slapped Ted. Mike had been stunned, but Holly’s wails got louder as the two married adults practically began wrestling. Mike had rushed forward to pull Holly from Karen when he was shoved against a counter by both adults who began to turn their anger towards _him._ Ted threw a bottle and Karen flipped out by chucking a bunch of Ted’s stuff around. And then Ted had said something Mike hadn’t caught but Karen screamed and kicked Mike like some sort of punching bag. Mike just lunged for Holly again, pulling her from Karen’s grasp and racing/limping towards the door. A second bottle hit Mike’s head as he had raced to the garage when Karen blocked the door. Then he had biked to Steve’s house, barely holding onto Holly as she sobbed, and he cut back roads to avoid Karen and Ted.

            El and Will had been instant that Steve was safe, so Mike had hoped for that same safety.

\--------------------------

            The night after Mike’s confession, Steve woke with his arms protectively around Mike. Max and Holly were also pressed into his side, and Steve would only have been more content if all of his seven kids were within arm’s reach. That didn’t mean he wasn’t content as he pulled three of his kids closer. He waited for them to all wake up before he made breakfast, silently cursing for not making food for the Byers last night.

            “I did it,” Max hummed softly as she saw Steve’s look. “There was an old soup recipe my dad taught me, so I made that and got it to the Byers. You both were asleep when I got home, and Holly was just chilling against your back with a picture book.”

            Steve nodded, ruffling Max’s hair as he finished breakfast.

            Mike was also happier and far more active as they led El to more places. El and the others all cast grateful smiles at Steve whenever Mike wasn’t looking. Steve would just shrug every time. And for once, everything was alright.

            “Not the stairs!” Max cried as Dustin tripped on Max’s skateboard as he tried to do a trick on the stairs.

            Mostly alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have fun digesting this! Cause it's just going to get worse and worse. I've been in an odd mood lately, so hold onto your hats!


	19. A Thankful Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving, and Steve has absolutely no idea how to celebrate. Good thing he has people to help and celebrate with him this year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am well aware that Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago. However, I planned this story in July, so bare with me here. Because this won't be the only Holiday special you will be getting.

            “Believe me, I love my mom, but she can’t cook for the life of her,” Dustin huffed as he sat back against the passenger seat. “Especially not for Thanksgiving.”

            Steve snorted as he handed Dustin the burger from McDonalds. Out of all the kids, Steve had to admit that his relationship with Dustin was the strongest. Once he had taken in Mike, Max, and Holly, they hadn’t really had the chance to hang out. But with El free and a more normal sense of life with school starting, things had settled into a nice pattern that let Steve and Dustin hang out more. Like now, as they got food after seeing a movie together.

            “Well the important part is family, right?” Steve encouraged, though he really wasn’t sure. He’d never really celebrated before. “To be thankful with those you love?”

            “Yeah,” Dustin hummed, eyeing Steve curiously. “Do you have any family you are going to visit?”

            Steve shook his head. “I figured I would just work through Thanksgiving, let Mike, Max, and Holly spend it at the Byers’ house this year. Someone’s got to work Thanksgiving anyways.”

            “But Flo is working through Thanksgiving,” Dustin pointed out. “And you’re still an intern so you have to take off for the holiday, right?”

            Steve shrugged, not really sure what to say. Dustin continued to regard Steve as he bit into his sandwich. Just a glance and Steve regretted saying anything. Dustin had that _look_ on his face, a look Steve really hated. It was the type of look that the kids had whenever they were trying to formulate a plan, and generally, they were plans that made Steve regret his existence.

            “What if we had Thanksgiving at your house?”

            And there it was. Steve scoffed as he bit into his own burger, not really sure how to respond.

            “Hate to break it to you kid, but I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving,” Steve stated flatly. “My parents were never around for me to care.”

            “Yeah, but you can cook,” Dustin pointed out. “And you have that whole fear of silence, so this would fill up you house with pleasant chatter.” Steve winced, and Dustin scrambled for another excuse. “You could invite Erin too!”

            “It’s Thanksgiving,” Steve pointed out. “A family holiday. She’s probably going home to see her family.”

            “Wouldn’t hurt to ask,” Dustin pointed out.

            “The answer is still no,” Steve said.

            Dustin frowned, biting into his burger as his brain began to work harder.

            “This is El’s first Thanksgiving,” Dustin said, and Steve tensed at those words. “Do you really want her to have Hopper’s TV dinners or Mrs. Byers’ hard potatoes for her first Thanksgiving?”

            And darn it, Steve could argue with that because there was no way he would let El have terrible food for her first real Thanksgiving free from fear. Dustin’s smug smile made Steve slam his head on the steering wheel.

            “I’ll be the one to ask everyone,” Dustin said as Steve debated smashing his head against the dashboard. “You just try to make the food and invite Erin.”

\-------------------------

            As it turned out, Erin wasn’t going home for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

            _“My dad’s still upset about grandpa’s will,” Erin said softly. “We haven’t talked since I gave him a black eye, and Daniel said it was probably best I let him blow off some more steam.”_

“So no plans,” Steve found himself grinning.

            _“No plans.”_

            “Well,” Steve hummed, suddenly extremely nervous. “Would you like to come to Thanksgiving dinner with us. Dustin’s trying to convince everyone to have dinner hear, and I’d really like you to be here.”

            It was silent on the other end for a moment, and Steve felt his nerves building.

            _“Yeah,” Erin seemed to breathe out in almost relief. “Yeah, I would really like that.”_

“Great,” Steve grinned a little too excitedly. “My house, obviously, around 6. It would be great if you were there.”

            _“I’ll be there, Steve,” Erin chuckled on the other end. “I swear. Happy Thanksgiving. And thank you.”_

            After hanging up, Steve opened the door and watched as Holly fell forward, clearly having eavesdropped on his phone call. She grinned up at him before racing down the stairs and screaming about Erin coming. Steve just chuckled as he went to find some cookbooks to figure out how to make the turkey and other things for dinner in a few days.

\---------------------

            “So,” Dustin began after school as Steve drove the kids to his house for D&D that Friday. “Right now, I’ve got the Byers, my mom and I, the Sinclairs, your bunch, and I recently convinced Hopper to bring El. Anyone else?”

            “Erin,” Steve hummed as he pulled into the driveway. “She confirmed with me last night. How many people is that?”

            Dustin began to count on his fingers as the others all chatted away in the back seats. Steve was mentally counting himself, but even if he was good at math, he liked when someone else checked his numbers.

            “At least seventeen people,” Dustin concluded. “Wow, that’s a lot of people. Good thing you house is huge.”

            Steve grimaced and nodded. The last time he had cooked for a crowd relatively that large was when Lucas begged him to help with the Sinclair’s dinner party. He’d need help again.

            “Come on,” Mike nudged Dustin as they raced out of the car. “I’ve got a good one for today.”

            “We’re going to die, aren’t we?” Dustin sighed as he followed his friends to the house.

            Steve laughed as he followed the kids in the house and once more got out his cookbook. He was going to need a lot more food. Steve groaned as he went through the cookbook again. He just hoped nothing turned out terribly. For everyone’s sake.

\----------------------

            Much to Steve’s relief, Erin came early. Steve, Erin, Max, and Mike all worked together on dinner, the parade playing in the background as they cooked and Holly played. Steve had made the pies the night before, a tip Mrs. Sinclair had given him. And one he was grateful for.

            It took forever to make the food, but they had it read by the time everyone showed up. At least, they hoped so. When everyone was there, Steve watched as everyone’s faces lit up at the sight. El’s face was definitely the best expression he saw out of everyone.

            They made sure El tried everything she could. They laughed, joked, and thanked each other for a wonderful year of 1985 so far.

            “How was your first Thanksgiving, El?” Mrs. Henderson watched the girl happily.

            “I really liked it,” El beamed. “Can we do this again next year, Steve?”

            “Sure El,” Steve smiled as he moved to stand. “But the food was only the beginning. Now it’s time for dessert.”

            Dessert went much the same way, but with much more active eating and excitement. They crashed in the living room, watching movies and relaxing into their overly full stomachs. Erin curled into Steve’s side as he relaxed, listening to the breathing of those around him. As the silence stayed away, Steve let himself drift off.

            “Happy First Thanksgiving, Steve.”

            And a smile fell on Steve’s sleepy face as he curled into Erin and her soft whisper.

\-------------------------

            “We should do that again,” Dustin hummed as Steve drove him to Benny’s. “You know, just a dinner like we did with Thanksgiving, but with less food and more family time.”

            Steve shrugged. “Sure,” he hummed back. “That would be nice.”

            “That’s good,” Dustin grinned, and Steve nearly stopped the car at that look. “Because El wants to do it again this Sunday.”

            Darn it all, Steve really can’t say no to El. If it wasn’t for the fact that Steve swore off violence towards his kids, Steve would have slapped that smile right off Dustin’s face. He scowled as he pulled up to Benny’s and ruffled Dustin’s hair as he tried to relieve himself of the tension. There was no way he was getting out of this Sunday dinner, and Steve had a feeling that they would become a regular occurrence. One look at Dustin and Steve realized El wasn’t the only one who had him wrapped around their fingers. He wondered when Dustin had started to wrap Steve up in his shenanigans. Probably when he first asked Steve for help against the demodogs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh. I got nothing else to say.


	20. Sunday Dinners, A Surprise Visit, and A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having people over for Sunday dinner had become a normal thing, but this was one guest that was unwelcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calm before the storm is about to end.

            Steve honestly wasn’t sure why he was thinking about it, but looking around his house, Steve felt the need to leave. Not Hawkins, Steve didn’t think he could ever leave Hawkins, but definitely the house. He wanted a place that actually felt like home, and his parents house just wasn’t cutting it. Even with his kids.

            But there were several reasons to say in the house too. Like Will’s nightmares, El’s trust of the place, the fact that everyone knew where to find him, _Barb._ Barb because she died here, because this was the last place she had lived. He didn’t want some new family moving in and changing the pool, not yet. Not until he had a dead set reason. His own needs weren’t really all that important.

            So that thought was shoved away as he watched a movie with his seven kids. For once he was glad it wasn’t _Star Wars_ or _Ghostbusters_ because he would have definitely left the house at that moment. He’d seen those movies enough times to quote them.

\-------------------------

            As he suspected the first time Dustin convinced Steve to do it, Sunday dinners become a thing. Every. Single. Sunday. Thankfully, everyone has gotten to the point where people contribute food and different people made dinner. Steve always make sure the Byers were sent home with every last leftover they could carry.

            Although he acts annoyed with the kids, all seven of them knew that Steve absolutely loved having people in the house. And yes, they knew he never calls his house home. With six very perceptive kids, and a five-year-old who would listen to anything, they were bound to catch on.

            But like everything in Steve’s life, things had to go South eventually. And it started on a Sunday when Steve had cooked. Erin, of course, had midterms coming up, so she was not there that particular Sunday. Steve so desperately wished she was after this particular incident.

            “It looks lovely, Steve,” Joyce was beaming at him as Steve finished setting the table. “New recipe?”

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded. “Max found it in a magazine, or something. Said she wanted me to try it because it looked good.”

            Joyce smiled and hugged Steve tightly before going to wrangle everyone up. The first time Joyce had ever hugged him like that had been when his father died, and Steve had been so uncomfortable. Now he lived for those hugs, the warmth of the only mother figure who ever cared.

            “You actually made it?” Max gasped excitedly.

            “With my own added flare, yeah,” Steve hummed back as he smiled at them fondly.

            “You did a marvelous job Steve,” Mrs. Sinclair praised, and Steve ducked to hide a blush.

            Max had been right too. The recipe for this particular dish, which Steve still could not figure out how to say, something Italian, was amazing. And having people talk about their days and listen to him every Sunday was also just as amazing. It was time’s like these when Steve thought nothing, but the Upside Down’s return, could ruin the moment. He was so very wrong.

            “Steve?”

            Steve had never felt his blood run so cold in that moment. Had never felt this type of feeling before. And he hated what that voice did to him. His blood was cold, but his body was boiling with rage. Shooting up and spinning on his heals, Steve turned to face the person with a flat stare.

            “Mom.”

            His mother looked older since the last time he had seen her. She looks confused too as she stares around the table. Good. Steve ended up putting his hands on his hips as he glared at the woman before him.

            “What’s going on sweetie?” she asks softly. “Who are all these people?”

            And it takes every last bit of Steve’s will power not to lash out. That, and the fact that both Dustin and Max are gripping onto Steve’s arms with a surprising amount of strength. His flat stare, thankfully, didn’t waver.

            “Friends,” Steve said, hoping his voice was as cold as he felt. “We do dinners on Sunday. Would you like something?”

            “Steve’s a good cook,” Joyce speaks out, and Steve fights a grin as he realizes Joyce is deliberately rubbing salt in a wound. “You should try some. He’s far too shy to admit it, but he could be a chef for a living if he wanted.”

            “He’s really good with the kids too,” Hopper added, standing up to join Steve’s side with an encouraging hand on Steve’s shoulder. “He saved them from a few jerks a few times. Keeps an eye on them. And he’ll make a great cop too once he hits 21.”

            Steve would have beamed at the praise had he not felt so strongly towards his mother. She seemed pained with every praise that was tossed at her. He was enjoying her squirming as they rubbed Steve’s success in her face. But this was a conversation _they needed_ to have.

            “I’m afraid I’ll have to cut dinner short,” Steve spoke, his voice never wavering much to his relief. “I apologize.”

            “Don’t worry about it, Stevie,” Mrs. Henderson gave him a warm hug. “Have fun with your mother.”

            Mike and Max looked uncomfortable, but Steve put hands on their shoulders to keep them there. He wanted to rub every single thing about his life in his mother’s face, and his kids were the best thing about him.

            “Why don’t you three go watch a movie,” Steve said as everyone else left. “My mother and I need to catch up. We’ll just be upstairs.”

            “Steve-”

            “I’ll be fine,” Steve ruffled Max’s hair. “Go enjoy a movie.”

            Steve went upstairs first, listening as his mother’s footsteps clopped on the ground behind him. And all he could do as they stepped into his father’s office was glare at her.

            “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” Steve let the sarcasm drip off his lips as he stared at her.

            “Don’t use that tone with me, Steven,” she sighed, almost exhausted. “I’ve had a long day as it is.”

            “You don’t say,” Steve bit back, sarcasm pouring in waves. “Gee mom, it totally hasn’t been years. Not like you could have spared a call every once in a while either. Or visited either, apparently. No, you were just _so_ busy, you couldn’t even tell me dad _died._ Yep, you must be so _exhausted._ ”

            “Steve,” his mother sighed. “Let’s not act like a school child.”

            Steve stared at her, his expression blank again. And Mrs. Harrington seemed to realize she had messed up. Her hands went forward, ready to cup her son’s face. But Steve stepped back, his gaze becoming cold. This wasn’t his mother, not anymore.

            “Get out,” Steve said simply.

            “This is still my house, Steven,” she said simply. “It is still under my name. I’m not going anywhere.”

            “Then we’ll leave.”

            Steve and Mrs. Harrington turned to the door to see Mike, Max and Holly standing in the doorway. Mike had that look on his face, a look Steve had only seen when he was defending those he really cared about.

            “You can stay, because we’ll move out,” Mike insisted.

            “And who are these kids, Steve?” Mrs. Harrington demanded.

            “My kids,” Steve growled. “And Mike is right, if you’re going to act like this then we will move out.”

            “Steven,” his mother barked. “Think rationally.”

            “I am,” Steve snapped right back. “Probably for the first time in a long time.” He turned towards his kids, match Mike’s determined gaze. “Go pack your stuff, we’re leaving.”

            In two hours, they had everything packed and in the mini-van. Mrs. Harrington watched on in what could only be considered dread.

            “Steven,” she cooed softly, one last vein effort as they both walked back into Mr. Harrington’s office. “Where will you even go? Please, just think about this.”

            “I already have,” Steve spat. “And we already know where we are going.”

            The phone rang at that moment, and Steve answered it quickly.

            “Call me at the Byers.”

            He hung up and left the house. And the only thing Steve could think was that it was about time he did this.

\-------------------------

            Joyce, the absolute angel that she was, agreed to let them stay as long as they liked. After relaying the story to Erin, Steve began to pull out the Byers’ stack of old newspapers to begin house hunting.

            “You sure you’re okay?” Jonathan asked as he and Nancy watched Steve warily.

            Steve just chuckled. “I just can’t believe it took this long to leave. Help me house hunt?”

            They spent a long night house hunting. With no real results either. It was after everyone had gone to bed, Steve resting on the couch, that Steve saw the other side of Will’s nightmares. The young boy came crashing out of his room, eyes wild as if he was seeing things that weren’t there. He nearly made it to the door before he jerked and raced towards Steve.

            “Hey,” Steve cooed softly. “Hey, buddy, hey. I’m here. I’m right here.”

            “I need to get out,” Will sobbed. “Please, I needed to get out.”

            Steve nodded and quickly scribbled a note to Joyce. Then he and Will were pulling out of the driveway and to a diner Steve knew on the other side of town. It wasn’t as good as Benny’s, but that didn’t mean it was awful either. It was open, and that meant warm food.

            “I’m sorry,” Will muttered.

            “Hey,” Steve cooed softly as they waited for the food Steve ordered. “Don’t worry. I’m just glad you didn’t run all the way to my house. That would have been terrible.”

            Will smiled shakily, and Steve just smiled back. Will fell asleep on the drive home, they had goofed off all night, letting the only two people on duty sleep the night away as they raced about. It was as they were getting close to the Byers’s house that something caught Steve’s eye.

            Kids called it the haunted house of Hawkins, but it was about as haunted as a door nail. It was an old house that belonged to a couple a long time ago. The rumor was that the couple passed away in their sleep, together. People liked to say that the couple still haunted the house. The real truth was that the cost for repairs to the old house was insane. With all the damage and teens messing with the house, the repairs would be an arm and a leg. Well, not insane for Steve.

            The biggest perk was that it was a rather large house, several rooms and space for people. The couple had once been the richest in Hawkins, which is why their house was left untouched. And Steve had an idea, a terrible idea, but an idea.

            “I think I might buy the McMillen house,” Steve said and watched with an amused smile as everyone reacted differently.

            “Do you know how much that costs?” Nancy gaped at him.

            “Do you know how much money I got from my dead dad?” Steve said back. “Honestly, at this point I could afford the house two times over and repair the house at least five time. Plus, with my habit to take in kids and all of El’s friends, we will probably need the room.”

            “Are you sure, sweetie,” Joyce asked softly.

            Steve smiled and nodded. “Haven’t been this sure since I decided to become a foster parent.” Or since he decided to open several trust funds, but that wasn’t common knowledge yet.

\----------------------------

            It took nearly a month to get the repairs done, and that was with Steve promising to pay double. He apologized to Joyce all the time for invading her house, but she always brushed it off. And there was, for the first time in a long time, a very serious dent in Steve’s bank account. His mother, he found out, had once more left Hawkins. She sent him a check that covered the cost of the house and Steve nearly drove his car into a wall, or off a bridge. He wasn’t sure which yet, and his kids wouldn’t let him think too long about it. But soon enough, they were moving into their new home.

            It was nice, homey and roomy. It was large like his old house, but the promise of three kids living with him gave Steve peace. He let the three kids pick their own rooms, and the furniture they wanted in the rooms too. But Joyce helped him pick the furniture for the rest of the house.

            “It’s so big!” Holly cheered as she raced to explore every inch of the house. “And it smells funny!”

            “It smells like paint,” Mike stated simply. But it wasn’t disapproving. Steve could live with that.

            “Go see your rooms, idiots,” Steve shoved them eagerly.

            Mike and Max glared at Steve, but they were off to the rooms they had claimed before there had been any furniture in the house. A grin spread on Steve’s faces as the cheers of excitement filled the house. To celebrate the new move, a D&D campaign was held for the kids, after they had explored every inch of the house, and a huge dinner was held, even though it wasn’t Sunday.

\--------------------------------------------

            It was the third night of Steve staying awake and tapping his foot as he sat by the door. People had started to notice, but he brushed off his kids and co-worker’s questions. Even Hopper’s gruff and intimidating stare hadn’t gotten an answer out of Steve. And Steve was down right frantic. The adrenaline and fear were the only things keeping Steve awake these last few days.

            A knock on the door had that adrenaline pumping harder.

            “Steve,” Will gasped.

            And Steve had Will in his arms, cradling the boy as Will sobbed. And all that adrenaline went done just a little. He used the rest of the adrenaline to make food and get Will comfy on the couch before Steve crashed.

            Because Will still knew where was safe, and Steve was safe, not the house. When Steve woke up again, Holly was poking his face as Mike and Max tried to get her to stop. He’d slept almost a day and a half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it has been brought to my attention (by several of you guys and a friend) that you wish to see the perspective of the kids and other characters. If this is something you want to see, I can write a spin-off book that will touch on some scenes from other people's persepectives, please leave a comment. You can also suggest things scenes you want to see.


	21. A Second Date and A Gang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve really wants to take Erin on a second date, but there are two problems. One; he has no idea where to take her. Two; things keep popping up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say, so enjoy the chapter.

            It wasn’t night this time, though Erin had slept over, and she would be for a few months. Or until her father finally decided to swallow his pride and let her come home. But after the second week of Erin being in the house with them, Steve had asked her on a second date. Though Mike and Max totally _hadn’t_ wingmaned and encouraged him to do so. Totally not. But here they were, catching a movie at the theatre. Their watching _The Black Cauldron,_ a Disney film that hadn’t done so hot, but Erin wanted to see it again.

            After the film, they went to old Harrington House. On Erin’s insistence. There were a few things Steve and the kids hadn’t packed, and Steve refused to go back alone. He also had no intention of taking the kids with him. So with Erin’s stubbornness, Steve found himself leading Erin into his old house.

            “Drafty,” Erin mumbled with a frown.

            And it was oddly drafty, with a stench that made Steve scowl. The food was probably rotten.

            “Let’s just get the stuff and go,” Steve sighed, his words incredibly bitter. “I don’t want to stay here anymore than we need to.”

            Erin nodded, her face determined as she marched up to Holly’s old room, pulling out the kids’ list they had given them. Steve decided to start with his own room. He grabbed four boxes from the garage first and placing one in each bedroom. It didn’t take long to pack up the four bedrooms and move to other places in the house.

            “This isn’t our second date,” Steve stated, spinning to Erin as she packed away the movies the kids insisted they bring back. Sentimental reasons or whatever. “I, this can’t be our second date. There is too much. Too much bad here. It just can’t.”

            “Then it won’t be,” Erin smiled softly as she moved to cup his cheek. “Alright. We’ll do something else. Something fun. Just us two. A real date.”

            Steve hummed softly, leaning into the warmth of her hand. “Yeah, a real date.”

            He wanted to kiss her, but not here. He would have done it before he moved out, but the house was no longer his. It didn’t feel right to be doing anything in this house. She seemed to notice his unease because she pulled away and began packing faster. They were loading the boxes into Steve’s trunk ten minutes later. And that was when he saw it. An odd van parked across the road that was marked and spray painted. It stood out like a sore thumb, and Steve had never seen the van in Hawkins. Erin was frowning at it too.

            Then the door opened to reveal a familiar figure. A very bloodied and bruised familiar figure.

            “Kali,” Steve breathed out as he and Erin were racing across the street.

            “Kali,” Erin gasped, putting her hand to a puncture wound in Kali’s side. “Were you stabbed?”

            Kali grimaced and nodded. “My friends and I,” Kali limply motioned to the others behind her. All bloodied like Kali. “We had nowhere to go.”

            “Keep pressure here,” Erin said softly to Kali and turning to Steve. “Get in the car and lead them to the house, I’ll do my best in here. Don’t pull into the garage, we’ll need to hide the van there.”

            Steve nodded, and they were off. His brain ran the look of the others in his mind. It reminded him too much of Mike and Max. He was screaming at someone to open the garage as he raced towards the house. Max had her hand on the button as the van pulled in, and Erin was yelling more instructions as Steve told her to close it again. It was pure chaos, but not unorganized either. It really should have bothered Steve that Erin knew what she was doing.

            It honestly didn’t, especially not with the dirt her brothers got.

\--------------------------

            They’d dragged the extra mattresses downstairs, or upstairs as there had been three in the basement. Kali and her friends were all stretched across them as Steve read a book on the couch. The kids, including Holly, were huddled in the dinning room around the table as their whispers filled the air.

            Erin was in the shower, taking her turn to wash off the blood. Steve hated that thought. Setting his book aside, Steve let his gaze fall over the group of people laying in his living room until his eyes locked with Kali. He smiled softly at her as she blinked.

            “Morning,” Steve teased, causing her to scoff.

            “Kali,” El cried as she charged towards her sister.

            Erin joined Steve’s side as they watched the two sisters embrace. It took time, but Kali’s friends all woke up, and Hopper finally arrived. Axel, Mick, Dottie, and Funshine were all interesting characters, to say the least. The only thing Steve cared about at this point was making sure those idiots didn’t lose anymore blood.

            “Are you just going to keep them here?” Hopper asked as Steve went to make dinner that night.

            “Might as well,” Steve shrugged. “I’ve got the room, and someone needs to make sure they won’t get into any more trouble.”

            “I can take the kids if you want,” Hopper offered, but it sounded more like insisting.

            “If it becomes a problem then I will send the kids to you or Joyce,” Steve assured. “But right now, I think it will be fine.”

            Hopper was not at all convinced.

\----------------------------

            They were good, but not that good. As in, Steve had not deliberately seen them doing it, but things had gone missing around the house and it was quite obvious they were gone. Steve just turned a blind eye. He could replace anything they took. Under much insistence from the others, Holly, Mike, and Max were living with the Byers until Kali and her friends left. Though they found ways to get back home when no one was looking. Will still came over at nights when his dreams were bad, and El was over more often than not.

            And Steve still had not taken Erin on their second official date yet.

            “You seem tense,” Kali finally said after a week of them staying.

            “Thinking,” Steve hummed.

            “About?”

            A sigh left Steve’s lips. “A date,” Steve hummed. “More specifically, what to do for said date. Because packing up the rest of my stuff from my old house was not a date.”

            Kali quirked a brow at him, but Steve had shut his eyes at that point.

            “What does she like?” Kali asked softly.

            And Steve frowned. “Her brothers,” he said softly. “She likes watching them in their elements. She likes fighting and helping others. She likes books and reading and things of fantasy. Prefers them over the real world. She likes doing what is right, even when no one else agrees. She likes caring for others. She likes art even though she can’t-”

            Steve stopped and Kali grinned. “Sound to me like you should take her to see some art.”

            There was a small art museum not too far from Hawkins too. Just a few towns over. That was perfect. And they could go that night.

            Thanking Kali, Steve raced off to find Erin, who was teaching Mick to judo flip someone.

            “Tonight?” Steve grinned at her. “Would you go on a second date with me?”

            “I think you already know the answer,” Erin grinned back at him.

\----------------------

            Erin was extremely excited by the small art museum. Her face did this thing where her pupils would enlarge, and she would get this look of pure awe as she let her eyes roam over every piece of work. It ranged from photography, to sculptures, to water colors, to even crayons. Steve made a mental note to let Will know about this place. Steve wasn’t all that interested in the art so much as he was interested in Erin’s expression. It was beautiful. But there were a few pieces he liked.

            Erin was his favorite thing to look at though.

            “Thank you,” Erin breathed softly as they left the museum.

            Steve turned his gaze to her, watching her calm expression as she stared at the ground. “You miss them,” Steve said softly. “Your family.”

            Erin nodded, even though it wasn’t a question. The last time Erin had tried to go home while her father was still angry at her, he threw a book at her head. She stayed locked in the guest room of Steve’s house for nearly a week before Steve managed to coax her out. She hadn’t spoken to anyone in her family since. Her father wouldn’t let her.

            “Hungry,” Erin mused suddenly. “Want food.”

            “What are you, five?” Steve scoffed but began to lead them towards a pizza place.

            “Only at heart.”

            Steve chuckled at that as they took a table. The pizza was better than anything they could have grabbed in Hawkins. Even better than Benny’s burgers, which was saying something. And again, Steve found himself captivated with Erin as they ate the greasy pizza with cheese dribbling down their chins. They made a point of not getting kicked out this time.

            “Was this better,” Erin asked as they drove home late that night.

            Steve nodded. “This was perfect. What about you? How was your second date?”

            Erin grinned and left a lingering kiss on his cheek. “It was perfect.”

            Steve grinned the whole way back, letting one of his hands grip Erin’s as they drove home. Steve determined there was no such thing as comfortable silence in that moment. Because they may not have been talking, but the hum of the tires on the road, the soft noise of the radio, and Erin’s content breathing felt it. It was just content.

            They crashed on the couch when they got back, after dropping two boxes of pizza off at the Byers, which made it extremely late at night. Not that either of them minded.

\-------------------------------

            Kali seemed, off. Not the normal off either that made her so dangerous. She seemed to be worried about something, and constantly glaring at her friends. Steve finally decided to confront her.

            “If this is about the stuff,” Steve said quietly, “I don’t care. You know that. I can just replace whatever is taken so long as it isn’t something personal of the kids.”

            Kali shook her head. “I’m going to make them put the stuff back,” Kali said quietly. “But I’m worried about something else. Others.”

            Steve blinked. Others? Did she mean like-. Oh.

            “Where?” Steve asked softly.

            Kali shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’ve got a lead, but.” Kali bit her lip. “Jane doesn’t want me looking after them. She thinks I’m not cut out for it.”

            “No offense Kali,” Steve said slowly. “But kids are not your strong suit. As fun as murder sounds, kids need love and attention.”

            “Then what do I do?” Kali snapped angrily. “Just leave them alone? You know I can’t do that!”

            “I didn’t say that,” Steve hissed back. “You know how much I care. If it really bothers you, then bring the kids here!”

            Kali gaped at him, but she smiled a second later. Honestly, the thought really should have crossed their minds sooner. Two days later and Kali and her gang was gone. And as promised, everything was placed back where it had been originally. Steve made sure to slip Kali some more money when she wasn’t looking. It would be a while before Steve heard from them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here is the plan: I am going to write a spin-off for this book. And I am about to have a lot of free time, so I will also be publishing book option two once I have finished this book. There will still be a chapter per day, but we are getting close to the end.


	22. Merry Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas is just around the corner, and while everyone else is excited, Steve is not. Being abandoned can really make a guy uncomfortable with a holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am well aware it is not Christmas, but I planned this book out months ago. So, it was either keep posting, or make the readers wait forever to get a chapter. So, here you go. 
> 
> I am almost done writing this book too, so that is nice. Spin-off will follow, and by the end of the night, I will have come up with a series title for both books.

            “Why aren’t we having Christmas at our house?” Mike asked for the millionth time. “I mean, it’s bigger. There is more space for everyone.”

            “Just because,” Steve shrugged.

            There was a reason, of course there was a reason. In fact, there was such a strong reason, Steve had managed to fight Dustin’s arguments. Including when El got brought into the picture. He just hadn’t told anyone about that reason. Sure, several people had tried to pry it out of him, but that didn’t work in the slightest. This was one secret he did _not_ want the kids to find out about.

            Steve was not a fan of Christmas.

            Not like Scrooge though. He just, wasn’t fond of the day. He loved decorating for Christmas, shopping for Christmas, opening presents, and belting Christmas songs at the top of his lungs off key, but he didn’t like the day itself. Because he had always been alone.

            This wasn’t at all like Thanksgiving either. For Thanksgiving, he just never celebrated. But Christmas was a holiday that was everywhere. It was in streets, stores, work places. So Steve fell in love with the festivities he thought he would never be able to embrace. Because Christmas meant family. And until recently, Steve had not had one.

            He just wasn’t ready for that yet. To acknowledge that he had a family, because that meant it could be lost. That it could leave. And family always seemed to leave him.

            “It’s just not happening,” Steve sighed.

            “Is it because Erin isn’t here,” Mike pressed, eyes narrowing.

            Steve had finally had enough of Erin’s father being a jerk and snuck the number from Erin’s address book. He spent an hour over the phone telling the man how much he sucked and berating him for turning his only daughter away when there were other people out their who abused their kids and how he was no better than those jerks. Thankfully, Erin had not been home for _that_ conversation. But she was going home for Christmas.

            Quickly kicking Mike out of the car, Steve was off to finish Christmas shopping. Max and Holly were spending the day at the Sinclair’s and Mike was with the Byers’. Steve had spent the last few weeks with the all the kids at his house so that families could go holiday shopping. Now it was his turn.

            Erin had told him of a tradition, buying three gifts for people on Christmas. Something to do with wise men, but Steve thought it was a great idea. And he enjoyed shopping for the people he cared for. He had most of his Christmas shopping done in July and was now just trying to finish up some last-minute shopping for a few items that had only just been put in stores.

            He wasn’t a fan of the day, but he loved the traditions.

\------------------------------

            This was probably the first time Steve didn’t have anyone in the car with him. Dustin was giving him the cold shoulder, and it was clear the other kids were angry with him. But no amount of begging or talking would sway Steve’s mind. The kids were spending a lot more time at the Byers now, even Holly. Which was okay because that was where they would be spending Christmas.

            So Steve was alone as he drove home, and he was alone as he entered his house. He lasted all of five minutes.

            He felt it, knew it was happening. The book he was reading fell from his hands and onto the floor as Steve found himself on his knees. And that was terrifying. Because he knew it was happening, but it had been at least four months since his last attack. And it had been even longer since there had been silence. His breath was ragged at this point, and he could feel his heart in his ears. He may have tried to call out at some point, but he couldn’t quite focus on his own voice. There were tears in his eyes too, his breathing just kept getting worse. He knew he needed to do something but there was nothing he could bring his body to do. The kids couldn’t see him like this. And he completely blacked out to that thought.

            He was being shaken awake later. It felt like seconds, but it so clearly wasn’t seconds. There was pressure on his chest too, and soft begging. Someone’s lips might have touched his own at some point, and he knew his shirt had been ripped open. He barely had time to see Max’s face, hear her shouting before he went under again.

            The next time Steve woke up, there was a rather annoying beeping in his ear, and someone was gripping his hand, rubbing it with their thumb. It took him a moment to realize he was in a hospital because his eyes wouldn’t open.

            “Still not awake, huh?” came the sound of Hopper’s tired voice.

            “No,” and oh, it was Joyce running her thumb over his hand. “Not a sound, not a shift, not even a hitch in breathing.”

            “At least he is breathing,” Hopper seemed to mutter bitterly. Then a deep sigh passed his lips, one that normally came deep from within a persons emotions that showed just how tired he was. “Erin’s on her way. Her brother Matthew is driving her down because she was in complete hysterics over the phone.”

            “Hop,” Joyce tried, her voice breaking.

            “He stopped breathing,” Hopper’s voice came out chocked. “Darn it!”

            Hopper kicked something, or threw something, Steve was still too tired. He flinched, but Joyce had let go of his hand, so he guessed neither of them noticed. Someone was crying, and he wanted to comfort whoever it was, but his body wouldn’t move anymore.

            “He stopped breathing, Joyce,” Hopper gasped out. “If Max hadn’t known CPR. He would have-” there was another sharp breath and a sob that could only have come from Hopper. “He’s like my son, Joyce. He’s like my son and he stopped breathing.”

            “He’s going to be okay,” Joyce voice was full of that confidence Steve loved from her. “He’s strong, and he would never leave the kids behind. He’s a strong boy, Hopper. You know that. We all know that. Steve _will_ get through this.”

            And wow, it had not even occurred to Steve that they were talking about him. They were crying for him, and Steve hated that. He needed to open his eyes _now._ Grasping every bit of strength he had, Steve let out a groan as he forced his eyes open. Joyce had his hand again and Hopper was cupping his head, both using their thumbs to soothe him.

            “Hey,” he croaked, breaking into a cough.

            Hopper was quick to rub Steve’s back as Joyce went screaming for a doctor. Someone, a nurse by the look of it, put a glass of water to his lips. Steve drank it greedily. Until the nurse pulled it away.

            “Welcome to the world of the living, Mr. Harrington.”

            And Steve really wanted to throw a shoe at the doctor.

\---------------------------------------

            “Looks like you’ll be out in time for Christmas Eve,” the doctor told Steve the next day. “Any longer and you’d have missed the big day.”

            Mike scowled at the doctor, as he sat on Steve’s side, clutching his arm with a grip so tight, Steve knew it would bruise. Max and El were tucked into Steve’s sides, with Holly on his chest. Will was beside Mike, hand clasping Steve’s calf. Lucas and Dustin were on the other side of Steve, Dustin mirroring Mike and Lucas mirroring Will.

            It made Steve feel safe. Plus they had all apologized a thousand times for leaving him alone to the silence of the house. Steve feared his supposedly dead body had scared them for life. Holly kept adjusting her head over Steve’s chest. Sometimes listening to his heart, other times listening to his breath. Max and El had both taken to digging their fist into his hospital shirt near is chest, feeling the rise and fall. Even the boys sent several long glances to where Holly lay as they watched her go up and down with each breath Steve took.

            They skipped school to be here. And Steve couldn’t find it in him to berate them for it because he had _died._

            “Can you just go away,” Steve grumbled half-heartedly.

            The doctor said nothing and left with a sigh. Steve could feel the kids press closer, clutching onto him tighter.

            “We’re sorry,” El finally spoke, the kids shifting even closer at the words. “We’re sorry. We’re sorry. We’re sorry.”

            “Hey,” he cooed, his voice still hoarse. “No, it wasn’t your fault.”

            “But it was dumb,” Dustin spoke softer than Steve had ever heard. “We avoided you to guilt you and we forgot. We forgot you had anxiety. We forgot you’re afraid of silence.”

            “You _died,_ Steve,” Lucas said, voice cracking. “You weren’t moving. You weren’t breathing, and your eyes were still open. Mike just kept shouting as we all tried to use the phones and Max kept giving you CPR. She did it three times before you came back.”

            “Not your fault,” Steve sighed. “Not your fault.”

            He was tired all the time, but he heard the hitching of breath and the soft sobs of someone as he drifted to sleep again. And when he woke up, the kids were fast asleep and curled around him. Erin was watching him from the door.

            “Hey,” Steve smiled softly at her.

            Her lips were on his in seconds. The kiss tasted salty, and it took Steve still sluggish mind far too long to realize that Erin was crying into the kiss. The kids were shifting themselves to let Erin closer to Steve, and Steve broke the kiss.

            “Erin,” he breathed, using his hands to cup her cheeks and his thumbs to brush away her tears. “Erin. My Erin.”

            It wasn’t until Erin started kissing his cheeks and eyelids that he realized he was crying too.

            “Don’t you dare do that to me again,” Erin breathed softly into his neck as she practically burrowed her face their. “Ever. Again.”

            “I love you,” Steve said in a whisper. “I love you so much.”

            “I love you too,” Erin sobbed into his neck. “I love you. Don’t do that again.”

            “I love you,” Steve kept saying. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

            _I love you. I’m sorry. I won’t leave you. I promise. I’m sorry. I love you._

\------------------------

            Much to Steve’s dismay, they were celebrating Christmas at his house. Apparently, Steve wasn’t allowed to be alone because the doctors believed Steve would try something again. Like he totally had control over the fact his body decided to quit breathing. They had originally had half a mind to send Steve to a funny farm, but Hopper had fought that notion. So Hopper and El had been staying over and Erin had hardly left his side, let alone the clingy kids. So come Christmas, there were tones of people in the house.

            Steve was busying himself with making breakfast as the kids all raced downstairs to open presents. Even the parents were awake and opening their own presents as Steve listened from the kitchen. This went on for a while, the kids and other adults opening presents as Steve cooked. Erin joined him in the kitchen first, and Steve noted she hadn’t touched any of her presents yet. Holly came racing in second.

            “Open it!” Holly cheered as she thrust an oddly wrapped package at Steve. “Open it! Open it! Open it!’

            Steve smiled down at Holly as he took the present and read the label.

            To: Steve

            From: Holly

            Steve grinned down at the girl as he pulled the wrapping paper away, to reveal a sort of round stone thing. But it was the painting on the stone that made Steve’s breathing hitch.

            At the top, in badly written letters were the words “Best Big Brother” and Steve’s name was on the bottom. And then there was badly painted picture of seven kids with what had to be Steve in the center. Steve pulled Holly into a tight hug, kissing her forehead as she giggled.

            “Do you like it?” Holly asked eagerly.

            “I love it,” Steve beamed. “We should attack a hook and hang it up for everyone to see. Did you make it at school?”

            Holly nodded eagerly. “I made it a while ago, but I wanted to give it to you as a gift.”

            Steve chuckled as he kissed the side of Holly’s head and handed her a muffin. She laughed happily and raced back to her pile of presents. Turning around, Steve had to take a step back as Erin shoved a wrapped box towards his chest.

            “Merry Christmas,” Erin smiled at him.

            The first gift, clever placed on top, was a sweater that said “# 1 Babysitter”. Steve laughed at it, teasing Erin about her cheesy gifts until he noticed the paper had shifted. Steve gaped as he pulled out a type of scrap book with pictures. Pictures of Steve with everyone he cared about.

            “Erin,” Steve breathed out.

            “It took a while,” Erin started quickly, “but I noticed you guys didn’t have a lot of pictures in the house. I got Jonathan and Nancy to help me get the pictures.”

            “Thing is the best thing I’ve ever gotten,” Steve smiled, eyes watering slightly. “I love you.”

            “I love you too,” Erin smiled back.

            Those words sent an odd feeling through Steve whenever he heard them. It was like being drunk and high without really being either of those things. It was different than when Nancy had said it, but he couldn’t say how. It was just pure bliss to hear.

            Reaching into a pocket, Steve pulled out a small, wrapped box and handed it to Erin. She smiled at him as she tore the wrapping paper off. Erin didn’t really like jewelry all that much, a fact Steve had learned on their trip to New York. But this was different.

            “Steve!” Erin gasped. “How on Earth did you get this?”

            Steve grinned as he watched Erin pull out none other than a replica of the One Ring.

            “Do you have any idea how expensive these things are?” Erin demanded.

            “Do you have any idea how much money I have?” Steve shot back, the grin not leaving his face. “And you can’t send it back either. Because then I’ll depressed.”

            He had only been about to turn around when Erin’s lips crashed onto his. He grunted at the force of her body pressed against his own, but he kissed back, backing her into counter.

            “Merry Christmas, Steve Harrington.”

            “Merry Christmas, Erin Cross.”

            The two didn’t have much time to just settle into the other’s warmth because there were suddenly several teenagers dragging them into the living room to open more presents. And maybe Christmas with family wasn’t as bad as Steve thought it would be. Nobody had left yet.

            No one was going to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The season finale of Doctor Who was nuts. 
> 
> Speaking of which, why aren't there fanfics where people make their own Doctor and companions? Everyone is always writing about people who were already the Doctor, or companions that already existed. Why not make some up? Since it is fanfiction, you technically have that freedom.
> 
> Just a thought I had.


	23. A New Year's Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's New Years, and this time, there are some new guests too. Well, not really guests. Steve's pretty much adopted them already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I forgot to post a chapter yesterday, but at the same time, my feed says I did. It's been an odd week.

            Steve had talked it over with Joyce and Hopper several times until they finally determined that; no, fireworks were not a good idea to send off on New Years. The reasoning came down to the fact that the position of the house would already be surrounded by several other fireworks, and they would be too busy make sure most of them didn’t get PTSD from the sound. Steve could understand that. He hadn’t been there when Bob died or when nearly everyone in the lab was killed. Mike had though, and he didn’t want Mike to fall into a panic attack.

            But they were definitely spending New Years Eve at Steve’s house.

            “You never did tell me why you didn’t want to have Christmas at your house,” Dustin hummed to Steve as he drank a milkshake. In twenty-degree weather. “Are you ever going to?”

            Dustin and Steve were at Benny’s for their annual Thursday Bro-day as Dustin took to calling it. It was sad, but Dustin was probably Steve’s best friend. Not that Steve really minded because Dustin was different from his previous friends, real. Plus, he genuinely cared.

            “Going to be honest with you, Dustin,” Steve said back. “No. And not even Erin knows so you won’t pry it out of her either.”

            “Wait.” Dustin gaped at him. “You _haven’t_ told Erin something.”

            Steve scoffed. “Believe it or not, but I kept the whole Upside Down thing a secret until El insisted we could trust her. I don’t always tell Erin everything.”

            “Yes you do,” Dustin insisted. “Are you sure you’re okay, man? Do you need a doctor?”

            Steve scoffed. “If I ever have to go to a hospital again, I might just kill myself.”

            And that was the wrong thing to say. Dustin got really quiet as he began to drink his milkshake. But even a sip of that had the drink in the cup holder as Dustin fiddled with his hands. The events of Steve’s death were still too fresh.

            Steve quickly reached over and ruffled Dustin’s hair through his cap. “I’m not going anywhere.”

            “I know,” Dustin said, voice cracking. “It’s just scary. You were dead.”

            “I’m okay,” Steve said. He took Dustin’s hand and placed it over the pulse on Steve’s wrist. “See. Blood’s still pumping. Air is still flowing. Everything is fine. I’m here, and I’m not going to leave.”

            “But what if we leave you alone again?” Dustin practically squawked, gripping Steve’s wrist tighter. “What if you’re stuck in silence again?”

            And Steve gripped back at Dustin’s arm. “Then you guys will save me again. And honestly, after that last scare, I don’t think anyone is going to leave me alone any time soon.”

            “What scare?”

            Steve nearly jumped out of his seat, and Dustin practically dug his nails into Steve’s arm as he jerked. Kali Prasad stood in front of their table, a look on her face as she studied them. Dustin ducked his head after he realized it was just Kali. There was shame on his face, a common look among the kids whenever they thought Steve wasn’t looking. And Steve was always watching.

            “Not here,” Steve shook his head. “Meet me at the house and I’ll drop Dustin home.”

            Kali nodded as she strutted back outside to where the van was park. There had been blood on her nose, and Steve guessed she was hiding herself and the van from the others. Waiting a few moments just in case, Steve drove Dustin home. He gave the kid reassurances all the way home.

            Kali must have already asked the three about the incident because, Max, Mike, and Holly were all looking as depressed and morbid as Dustin. Steve kicked them upstairs as he got Kali and her gang comfortable in the living room.

            He ran a hand through his hair before he started.

            “I nearly died,” Steve sighed. “Well, apparently I did die. I had an anxiety attack, and I stopped breathing. The kids keep blaming themselves.”

            “Dude,” Axel hummed. “That’s sick.”

            “Yeah,” Steve sank into an arm chair. “Apparently they found me, or my body I guess.”

            It was silent for a few moments, but Kali was quick to leave the room. She came back moments later, but with two kids. A boy and a girl with buzzcuts and timid faces that were around the same age as his kids.

            “This is Nine,” Kali pointed to the boy before moving to the girl, “and Ten. These were the two I had a lead on a couple of months ago.”

            Steve stood carefully and walked just as slowly to not startle the two. They looked so afraid of Steve that it made his heart clench in his chest. Steve crouched in front of them, making himself smaller than them.

            “Hi,” Steve smiled gently, trying to show he wasn’t going to hurt them. “I’m Steve.”

            “Steve,” Nine tested the name on his tongue. “Kali says you are friend.”

            “Yes,” Steve nodded with a smile. “I’m a friend. Do you know what that means?”

            Nine and Ten shook their heads, and Kali smiled softly.

            “It’s someone you would do anything for,” Steve said, remembering what El had told him the boys had told her. “And would do anything for you. It’s someone you can trust. Do you know what that means?”

            They shook their heads again.

            “It means they try not to hurt you,” Steve hummed. “And if they do hurt you, they try to fix it. Someone to protect you. That you can go to when you are hurt.”

            “Friend,” Ten said softly. “Will you be our friend?”

            “If you want,” Steve smiled. “Do you want to meet some of my other friends?”

            They nodded, and Mick was kind enough to go and fetch the three. Mike and Max gaped at the two but they let themselves calm and meet the two.

            “I need to call child services,” Steve told Kali as Mike, Max and Holly took to showing the two new residents differnet objects. “I have friends that can help make this legal. We can pass it as child abuse. And if Hopper can get in touch with Doctor Owens, that can’t hurt either.”

            “Are you sure,” Kali pressed, clearly not happy with the idea.

            “I won’t let anyone take them,” Steve stated firmly. “And I trust Charles and Mark enough to make up a story that they would buy.”

            Kali frowned.

            “I can’t keep them hidden like El,” Steve stated simply. “It would be too hard on them. It was too hard on El.”

            “Steve,” Mike ran into the room. “I can call Hopper or radio the others.”

            “Sure,” Steve nodded. “But not all at once. I don’t want them to freak out. And you guys can be over whelming.”

            “Hey!” Mike protested as Max showed the two a phone.

            Steve was left to wonder what their powers were.

\--------------------

            They came all at once anyways. And the kids were extremely uncomfortable until El showed up and showed her wrist. And when El showed she was comfortable with the others, the two relaxed with those El liked. It was nice, seeing two kids enjoy everything. It took two days do get in touch with Doctor Owens, who honestly looked like he was going to rip out his hair.

            Steve couldn’t blame him.

            Erin wasn’t with them. After ruining her Christmas plans by dying, Steve had been very insistent that she go home for the New Years. There had been much protest, but she agreed. Eventually. But he had called her, and the lack of detail let her know something was wrong. He had to convince her to stay home too.

            As for Doctor Owens, he agreed to pull strings to get Steve custody. Mark and Charles just teased Steve the entire time, though they were definitely skeptical as to the state of these to kids and the sudden involvement with a scientist. They didn’t ask question though, much to Steve’s relief.

            Nine and Ten had latched on to Steve instantly. And Steve took to observing them when he could. Nine was tall, probably still growing with black hair and green eyes. Sharp green eyes that were ready to lash out, to defend. But there was care when he turned to Ten. Ten was going to have blonde hair when it grew back, and her brown eyes were filled with such wonder. But they held that dull look Steve had seen in some soldiers he had met. Neither of the kids deserved this. On New Years Eve, Steve had custody of the two under the names of Samuel and Amelia Harrington. They chose the names themselves.

            “Can they read with me?” Holly asked as she watched the two as the skimmed over a picture book.

            “They may not know how,” Steve said softly. “Perhaps you could teach them.”

            Holly’s face lit up as she raced over to them asking them questions a little too quickly. But the two had taken a liking to Holly and Holly had decided to teach the two to play. It took a long time to explain to Holly about the truth. At least about El, Nine, and Ten. The Upside Down would be explained later. But she took the information well and was very eager to teach the older two. It made Steve laugh.

            “Are we going to see fireworks?” Ten asked softly.

            Mike and Max had taken time to explain what happened on New Years and how it happened. The kids had instantly latched onto the idea of Holidays, and Steve planned to make each holiday special for the kids. Well, at least the ones he knew how to celebrate. He had no idea how to celebrate Jewish or Chinese holidays.

            New Years dinner was amazing, if Steve did say so himself, and the parents had all been warned to step on egg shells around the two they decided to determine twins. It would just make their lives easier. But Hopper kept shooting Steve looks, and Steve just smiled.

            Erin was going to kill him, but Hopper had asked after Steve convinced Erin to go home.

            But it was about time.

            Moving outside, Mr. Sinclair set up a fire pit. After much convincing, Steve had agreed to put one in. And a pool, because El still wanted to learn to swim. But the pool was covered for the night as not to scare Nine or Ten. They were tucked into Steve’s side because Steve was not sure how the twins would react to the sound or the look.

            The looks of awe made Steve react now. And Steve relaxed himself as he realized that things were going to be okay. He was starting the year of 1986 with a fresh start. He had a job, several kids he loved, and a person he loved more than life itself. And that was the best Steve could ever hope to be.

            It was as the clock struck exactly midnight that Steve grinned and watched as Hopper got on one knee before Joyce, ring in hand.

            Joyce said yes.

            “Marriage,” Nine tested the word after Steve had explained an engagement. “Are you going to get married?”

            “I hope so,” Steve nodded. “One day.”

            “To Erin?” Ten asked.

            And Steve was going to murder his other seven kids as Nine and Ten watched him with wide eyes. The traitors. They were supposed to wait to mention Erin until she actually came home.

            Which was another thing that made Steve’s heart clench oddly. Erin was living with them now, and this was their home. Not just a house, their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun chapter. New friends. Bigger family. Things are looking up and you can probably guess what the next chapter is going to be.
> 
> Totally ship Jopper.


	24. A Wedding to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve had no idea that being best man would be this hard. Especially when the other two groomsmen are being such jerks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my favorite, but I don't think Joyce and Hopper would have had a big wedding.

            If someone had told Steve that he would be best friends with Chief Jim Hopper, Steve would have laughed in their face. Now he was trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was Hopper’s best man.

            “Honestly,” Steve mocked with a huff as he fumbled with the cloth around Hopper’s neck. “Have you never tied a tie before?”

            Hopper grumbled. “Not since I was married to Diane.”

            “Really, Chief?” Callahan laughed. “You need to step up your game. You’re about to be a married man again.”

            “Yeah, Chief,” Powell chuckled. “What if you want to take your wife on a fancy date? What then?”

            “I don’t think Joyce will care about ties,” Steve chuckled as he saw Hopper’s scandalized look. “There. Now stay here while I try to figure out how the ladies are doing.”

            It was a small ceremony. Only close friends. Steve, Callahan, and Powell were the groom’s men. El, Mrs. Henderson, and Mrs. Sinclair were the bride’s maids. It had been a long discussion about who the best man and maid of honor would be before it finally settled on Steve and El. Holly was the obvious choice for the flower girl and Will was an easy choice for the ring bearer. Even Jonathan was going to be able to walk his mother down the aisle.

            Speaking of which-

            “How they looking?” Steve hummed as he motioned to the door.

            Jonathan had left the changing room early so that he could make sure his mom was alright. Both Hopper and Joyce’s nerves were at their peak, and Jonathan and Steve were trying to make sure everything was perfect.

            “Should be about ready,” Jonathan hummed. “El finally took a stab at reassuring mom. It seemed to work.”

            Steve huffed. “At least you have supportive friends.” Steve said. “Callahan and Powell just keep riling Hopper up. Let me know when the ladies are done, yeah? Need to make sure the other two don’t say something stupid to make Hopper run off.”

            Jonathan nodded, and Steve returned to the changing room. Which was a good thing because Powell and Callahan were grinning as Hopper looked green. Steve kicked them out instantly and spent the rest of the time encouraging Hopper to go through with the marriage.

            He was not at all qualified for this, but he must have said something right because Hopper was waiting at the alter as the ceremony actually began.

            He had been right in knowing Erin would be mad at him. She was furious that she missed the proposal. On the plus side, she took the two newest residents pretty well. In fact, she started to tutor them the best she could when she wasn’t busy at college. It took time, but the twins grew fond of Erin too, and they were currently standing on either side of Erin as Joyce began to walk down the aisle.

            Steve was absolutely positive this was the first time he had ever seen Hopper cry. And Steve was also positive Hopper had no idea he was doing it. But the man was grinning like an idiot as his soon to be wife came down the aisle with an equally large grin.

            It was a short, sweet ceremony. Neither Hopper or Joyce wanted anything extravagant. The vows were simple, the venue was simple, at a local church. The usual things. Nancy said it was probably because they had already been married once, and Jonathan seemed to think it was because Joyce and Hopper only wanted the people, they considered family. Either way, it was the best wedding Steve had ever attended.

\---------------------------

            The reception, of course, was held at the Harrington Home. Thankfully, Steve didn’t have to do all of the cooking. But he did have to clean his house down and set up three guest rooms. Though he debated four. Hopper and Joyce were going on a surprise honey moon, that was funded by Steve, much to their protest. Which meant, Jonathan, Will, Nancy, and El would be staying with Steve. Lucas and Dustin were also trying to convince their parents to let them stay over the week that Hopper and Joyce were gone. But it was a school week. The parents said no.

            “What are you thinking,” Erin hummed as she settled next to Steve on the patio.

            “I’d never have been here if it weren’t for a monster kidnapping Will,” Steve said. “And I know it’s selfish to think this, but I’m glad it happened.”

            “Steve,” Erin called softly. Steve turned his head to see that Erin had moved so that she was perching on the arm rest of his chair. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to have noise. There is nothing wrong with wanting to leave silence. And if a kid getting kidnapped is how you got free, then there is nothing wrong with being glad about it. Maybe a bit demented, but it brought you here.”

            And Erin gestured to the group of people all dancing around the yard. The six teens all laughing and playing. The new twins were playing with Nancy and Jonathan, tossing a ball between the four of them as Holly tried to take it from them. Joyce and Hopper were dancing to a song together, neither could dance. And the rest of the adults were mingled together, talking and eating food.

            No, Steve didn’t regret anything that happened. Because it gave him the people he cared for. Including Erin.

            He remembered how it started, them meeting at the hospital. Then phone calls, casual conversations over the phone as they spoke. Then it became a confession of fears, both still keeping secrets. Then they spent Senior Week together and that was when their relationship shifted. And honestly, Steve never expected to fall in love again, but he formed a crush on Erin in New York. Then there were more phone calls and El asking Steve to tell Erin the truth. There was something between them after that.

            Now they were here, and Steve couldn’t resist leaning over to plant a kiss on her lips.

\-----------------------------

            “Hey! Steve screamed at the group of kids wrestling on the floor. “Enough! Now what on Earth is going on?”

            Mike, Dustin and Lucas were wrestling on the floor as El was sobbing on Max’s arms. Max had also been screaming at the boys to stop. It had been Will who had gotten Steve.

            “He started it!” Mike hissed, and Steve rolled his eyes.

            “That isn’t what I asked,” Steve shot. “And it takes two people to start a fight. Now what happened?”

            “I just said that since Will, El, and Jonathan are siblings that Mike and El can’t date anymore,” Dustin said with a huff.

            “What?” Steve said, honestly not sure what brought this on.

            “They’re siblings,” Dustin said again. “Which means that when Nancy and Jonathan get married, it means that El and Mike will be siblings in law. And we all know Nancy and Jonathan are going to get married, so they probably shouldn’t date.”

            “That’s not how this works,” Steve shook his head. “That is not how any of this works.”

            “Yes it is,” Dustin shot back.

            “No, it’s not,” Steve insisted. “El, what is your last name?”

            “Hopper,” she said softly, sniffling.

            “Will,” Steve turned to the boy behind him. “What is your last name?”

            “Byers,” Will said softly.

            “Everybody together,” Steve said, clearly done with this entire situation. “What is Jonathan’s last name?”

            “Byers,” came the chorus of confused kids.

            “That’s right,” Steve stated. “El hasn’t changed her name and neither have the boys. Their step siblings, not technically related. So it doesn’t count. Mike and El can date and get married if they want to. Now stop fighting and go clean up. Dinner is almost ready.”

            The kids all watched as Steve went back to the kitchen, muttering about stupid kids under his breath. This was by far the tensest dinner Steve had ever had with the kids. He ended up grounding them too, which they took with mild protest.

            Erin just watched on with an amused grin as she taught Sam and Amy how to read. Steve just rolled his eyes at her and cleaned up the kitchen.

\-------------------------------------

            It took the extent of Joyce and Hopper’s honeymoon for the kids to make up after the fight. But by the time the two were back, the kids were back to being best friends. And El and Mike were back to leaning into each other. Steve didn’t see a need to say anything to Hopper and Joyce about the problem, but the two adults seemed to notice a difference in the kids’ behavior.

            “Boys are dumb,” Holly said from Steve’s lap when the two asked after the kids.

            And Steve couldn’t stop laughing.

            Joyce and Hopper had a nice honeymoon though. That was a plus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing with El and Mike and Jopper getting married has bothered me for ages before I finally found the loop hole. 
> 
> I want my ships to be cannon.


	25. Sick Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve gets sick. No, he makes himself sick. Because it was all his fault and he deserved this. His kids think he is an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a jerk. But here you go.

            He was an idiot. A stupid, horrible, jerky, idiot. And he hated himself more than he had ever thought possible. It was a fight that had Steve in this mood. A fight between Steve and Erin. And he had messed up just like he had with Nancy. He couldn’t even remember why he had gotten so angry, but he had, and Erin was gone. Steve had found himself at the quarry, sitting on a ledge that overlooked it as it poured around him.

            All she said was that she was considering switching colleges. Something closer to Hawkins. Something closer to Steve. That was the worst thing Erin could have told him and he had flipped out. He felt like that would hinder her, because she was bright and talented and smart. He didn’t want to be the thing that held her back. She had argued back that she didn’t care. Their shouting got worse and the next thing Steve knew, Erin had left the house. She hadn’t taken her stuff, but she was back at college and living on a campus, so most of her stuff was there anyways. It still hurt, and the moment Steve realized what he had done, he broke down.

            He wasn’t sure how long he had been at the quarry, but it was light outside when he left. It was dark now. He wondered if the kids were worried.

            “Harrington!”

            Ah. Someone was worried because Hopper was here, dragging Steve away from the ledge. Not that he was going to jump. He couldn’t leave the kids, but he needed time to himself. Time to wallow in his own self-pity.

            “Harrington!” Hopper was slapping his face now. Gently though, trying to get his attention. “Come on Steve. What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

            “I messed up,” Steve found the words falling past his lips. “I messed up, Hop. I messed up.”

            Hopper had gotten Steve in the car and was taking him home when Steve threw the door open, as the car was moving, tumbled out of the car, and threw up on the side of the road. Hopper was completely freaked out and had half a mind to take Steve to the hospital. Steve threatened to jump out of the car again.

            “Steve, sweetie,” Joyce hummed gently. And Steve was honestly not sure what happened, but he lost an entire hour after threatening to jump out of the car. “Steve. What’s wrong sweetie?”

            “I messed up,” Steve found himself saying again. “I messed up.”

            Steve had a fever of 110, and he was extremely delusional. He went in and out of consciousness. And to top it off, no one could pry out of him how he had messed up.

\-------------------------

            “And you don’t have a power that can just tell us what happened?” Dustin threw his hands in the air. “Honestly. Steve did something, and we don’t know what and we can’t figure out what it is!”

            “Gee, Dustin,” Max quipped sarcastically. “We had _no_ idea.”

            “Sorry,” El muttered. “Can only throw thing and find people.”

            “It’s not your fault El,” Mike soothed. “We just have to figure out what Steve did. And take care of him.”

            It had been two weeks since Steve didn’t come home when the kids came home. Two weeks since they called Hopper. Two weeks since El found him at the quarry and Hopper fetched him. Two weeks since Steve got sick. And he wasn’t getting better. The kids, reasonably, were freaking out.

            The Doctors had finally come to the conclusion that the reason Steve was still so sick was because he _wanted_ to be. It made no sense, but Lucas had been the one to point out that Steve still hadn’t told them how he messed up. Whatever it was, the kids had determined it was bad enough for Steve to want to be this sick. Even if it made no sense.

            With Steve still sick, the kids were trying to go through everything they could to try and determine how “Steve messed up”. And they were _still_ coming up blank.

            “We can try,” a voice spoke from behind them.

            The six turned to see Sam and Amy standing in the doorway. As usual, Amy was gripping Sam’s arm, hiding behind her brother.

            “I can help,” Sam insisted. “I can see things, past things.”

            “Your power?” El asked softly.

            Sam nodded. The twins had been secretive of their power, a thing that Steve demand they respect. So, with Steve constantly getting on to them, the group had agreed not to press the matter.

            “I see the past,” Sam elaborated. “And Amy sees the future.”

            “Can you see what Steve did?” Dustin asked, already standing and moving towards them.

            “Yes.”

            It took time, because Sam hadn’t used his powers since he moved in with Steve. Hadn’t needed to. But Steve, his friend, was hurting. It didn’t take him long to find the memory.

            “He had a fight,” Sam said once he had stopped watching the memory. “With Erin.”

            And the look of realization that crossed the kids’ faces spoke volume. That night, the now eight kids, plus Holly, because they couldn’t leave her alone with a sick Steve, stole Steve’s mini-van.

            Erin completely flipped out when she realized Max had driven there. But she looked terrible. Sam had already described the fight on the drive over, so the kids were somewhat ready for the state Erin was in. Erin’s roommate was a jerk too, and Max kicked her in the shin when she tried to kick them out. Erin drove them back, sobbing the whole time the kids told her what Steve was doing to himself.

            “Erin?” Steve slurred as she walked into Steve’s bedroom.

            “Hey,” she cooed gently. “Hey Steve. Hey, you’re okay.”

            “I’m so sorry,” Steve sobbed as Erin took his hand. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

            “Hey,” Erin soothed gently. “It’s okay. I’m not mad, Steve. It’s okay. We both messed up.”

            “I don’t want to lose you,” Steve was sobbing harder. “I don’t want to lose you, baby. I don’t want to lose you. I’m so sorry.”

            “It’s okay,” Erin kissed his burning forehead. “It’s okay. I’m right here. You won’t lose me.”

            Steve continued to sob as Erin cooed back gently, her own tears falling down her face. The kids left them alone after that, doing homework silently and teaching Sam and Amy different things as they worked.

\--------------------------

            “I feel like I have a hangover,” Steve groaned as Erin replaced the cloth on his head.

            Erin hummed, kissing his forehead before placing a new cool cloth on his head. The fever was slowly going down, and Steve was conscious more often than not now. It had been three days since the kids had fetched Erin, and she had not told him what they did. That could wait till he was better.

            “Then stop pitying yourself in the rain,” Erin teased softly. “And you need to eat your soup. You didn’t eat for two weeks and you’ve hardly eaten since I’ve been here.”

            “Not hungry,” Steve grumbled.

            “I will force feed you,” Erin threatened, this time looking serious.

            Steve still shook his head. Which resulted in Erin pitching his nose, forcing his mouth open, and forcing a spoonful of soup down his throat. Steve glared at Erin, but she just grinned all smug and handed him the bowl. Steve took a few bites before putting the bowl down and loosely grasping Erin’s hand.

            “I’m sorry,” Steve said. “So, so sorry Erin.”

            “Steve,” Erin smiled softly. “I know. I forgive you, and I’m sorry too.”

            “No,” Steve shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s my fault. I just don’t want to hold you back, and rather than tell you that, I got angry. So, I’m sorry.”

            “You could never hinder me, Steve,” Erin whispered as she brought his knuckles to her lips. Her words making his skin vibrate. “Not ever. You could only drive me forward.”

            “I love you,” Steve hummed.

            Erin smiled into his knuckles where her lips lingered, let her blues eyes lock with his brown.

            “And I love you,” Erin said softly. “So much. Don’t ever forget that.”

            “Never,” Steve stated.

\----------------------------

            “This sucks,” Steve groaned as Mike and Max helped him down the stairs. His muscle had constricted from the lack of use over a near three week period. “Why am I such an idiot?”

            “Love,” Holly sang in an off key voice as she giggled at Steve. “Makes you do dumb things. Love! Is a very odd thing.”

            Steve was fairly certain he had never heard this song before. But Holly had always had a knack for making odd songs. Steve was beginning to wonder if the had an artist in their messed-up family.

            “Maybe you should start working out again,” Erin hummed softly. “You know, once the physical therapy is over.”

            Steve groaned. “Do I have too?”

            Erin shrugged. Her gaze hadn’t left the work books she had in front of her, checking over the math work that Sam and Amy had done when she was gone. Much to Steve’s delight, Sam and Amy were starting to fit in with the Party. Much to his dismay, half the town knew that Steve had two more abused kids in his custody.

            But things were fine, and if he hung a little too close to Erin, no one said anything about it.

\------------------------------

            It took nearly a month for Steve to get back on his feet, and though he initially didn’t want too, he began to exercise regularly. He had two close brushes with death within the last two months, and he didn’t plan on making a third. He had nine kids who needed him now. And a girl he loved more than anything. So if doing things he didn’t feel like doing was going to keep him alive, he would do them. For those he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am currently about to start the process of choosing scenes for the spin-off. Let me know if you guys have any scenes from this book you would like to see from someone else's perspective.
> 
> I have a few I want to do, but I won't be doing all of them. So suggestions are appreciated.


	26. Completely Illegal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erin was just supposed to be on a field trip for a class. Some conference. How did it end up like this? One last phone call with the girl he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this, and the last few chapters, I really felt like killing someone off.

            He had Erin by the shoulders, hoping to convey how he felt about this. Through his voice, his eyes, his stance, his everything. Because what she had done was illegal and could have, not only gotten her arrested, but killed. His grip on her was tight, but her gaze was defiant, unswayed by everything he was conveying. And it tore him apart, ripped at his soul.

            “You could have _died!_ ” Steve screamed at her. “I could- you could have- Erin- you- Erin.”

            He sank to his knees, head pitching forward as he gasped out a sob. His hands continued to grip Erin, but his hands moved to her arms, clinging onto her. She seemed to pitch forward, curling around him carefully.

            “ _Never_.”

            And he pulled her closer, sobbing into her hair. One arm gripped just above her waist as the second brushed the bloodied bandages above her hip. A bullet wound. She’d taken a bullet, nearly died had Six not been able to heal. She would have died. He could have _lost_ her.

            “Erin,” he sobbed out Steve.

            “I’m here,” she cooed in his ear. “I’m here Steve.”

            He wondered if this was what it felt like for Erin when he died.

            There were currently five brand new people in his living room. All with tattoos and ranging in ages.

            She said it was a field trip.

\-------------- One Week Prior -----------

            “It’s just a field trip,” Erin shrugged.

            “For a week?” Steve asked with a raised brow as he watched Erin pack.

            “Yes, Steve,” Erin shot him a grin. “This isn’t high school. We don’t have the same boundaries.”

            Steve huffed. “I know,” he mumbled. “But you’ll be gone a week.”

            Erin grinned and kissed his cheek, which prompted Steve to turn his head and plant one on her lips. Then he was pulling her onto his lap, cradling her close.

            “You’ll be fine,” she soothed. “You’ve had a handle on this parenting thing long before I showed up. Plus you have Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan.”

            Steve sighed dramatically as Erin swatted his head playfully, pulling from his grasp. He pouted at her but said nothing else as she continued to pack.

            Erin was gone the next morning.

            It was three days before he heard from her. He knew she was probably busy, something about a conference or something. But the phone call that came was unexpected, and terrifying.

            _“Steve,” the voice, unmistakably Erin’s, was gurgled and pained. “Steve, I’m sorry.”_

            “Erin,” Steve’s breathing hitched. “Erin, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

            _“I’m sorry,” Erin sobbed, a wet cough following. “I’m so sorry. But I couldn’t leave them.”_

            Mike and Max were watching Steve now, brows furrowed at Steve’s panicked reply.

            “Erin?” Steve asked. “Please, Erin, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

            Erin coughed again, like chocking. A spitting sound followed.

            _“I’ve been shot.”_

            Steve’s legs gave out from under him. “No,” he shook his head. “No, Erin. Please. Tell me this is a joke. You haven’t been shot.”

            He was rambling, pleading, and there was a pained chuckle on the other end. Max and Mike were suddenly running about, shouting into walkies and racing to call Hopper off the extension in Steve’s room. Panicked.

            _“I’m so sorry,” Erin sobbed. “I didn’t know.”_

            “Erin,” Steve’s voice cracked. “Please.”

            _“Brenner is alive,” Erin gasped out, coughing her lungs up for a moment. “He was the one giving the conference, and I followed him. I couldn’t just sit there.”_

            “Erin,” Steve couldn’t say much else.

            _“I got them out, Steve,” Erin sobbed out. “They’re safe. They got away. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t leave them.”_

“Please, Erin,” Steve gasped out. “Please.”

            _“I love you.”_

            The line clicked dead, and a cry filled the house. It took Steve forever to realize that he was the one screaming. That Mike was shaking him, telling him to calm down. Telling him to breathe. That Sam and Amy were pulling him back and into their arms. That Max was racing out of the house. That Holly was screaming and sobbing with Steve.

            He blacked out after that.

\----------------- An Hour Before -----------------

            Steve wasn’t taking the news well, hadn’t been since he heard it. It had been a week since Erin left, and four days since he’d heard anything. Hopper had called in several favors, old buddies trying to find Erin’s body. But she had been in New York, and things happen in New York, especially New York City.

            They’d tracked down the phone booth she had used, it was completely covered in her blood. No trace of a body, but drag marks leading to a pool of blood not too far away. No body. Steve still wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. He was too numb with the thought, too numb with the feeling of Erin gone. Because of Doctor Martin Brenner.

            Steve had never wished death on anyone before.

            He hadn’t moved from the couch since he woke up in Joyce Byers’s arms. He’d sobbed for a good hour before he could say anything. Before he could tell them.

            Brenner is alive.

            Erin found him.

            She tried to stop him.

            Tried to save kids.

            Brenner killed Erin.

            El was livid, broke quite a few windows in the house, not that Steve cared in the moment. There were sheets covering those because Steve was too numb to move. Mike had gotten fed up with Steve’s attempted suicidal ways and force fed him. Steve didn’t complain. His kids needed him, so he ate. But he just couldn’t get off the couch. His body wouldn’t let him.

            He hadn’t realized someone had gripped his hand till there was a soft gasp. Sam was watching Steve, worried gaze searching his face. And Amy was holding onto him, eyes closed, blood dripping from her nose.

            Then she was smiling, and Steve has to wonder what she had seen in his future.

            “Wait,” she told him softly as she opens her eyes. “Wait an hour. Things will get better.”

            Other than eating, Steve moved for the first time in four days and handed her a tissue. But he didn’t believe her.

\--------------------- Five Minutes Before -------------------

            The hour had all but passed and nothing had happened yet. Nothing at all. And Steve was still on the couch when it came. A soft knock on the door. Steve’s thoughts instantly drifted to someone coming to tell him they had found Erin’s body. And he realized it would bring some relief because then he could return her to her family. Bury her. Say goodbye properly. See her one last time.

            Max screamed that she’ll get it as the knock came again.

            That was another thing. The kids in the house had all just accepted the fact that Steve was not going to function anytime soon. They had taken over different jobs they knew how to do. And Steve had felt that guilt grow and add to the numbness as he lay there. But his body wouldn’t respond.

            “Erin!”

            Except to that apparently. Steve was jerking up, watching as Mike, Amy, Sam, and Holly ran to the door. But despite the name, Steve’s body still resisted. He trudged to the door mechanically until he could see five people at the door, and a sixth buried under his kids. His kids pulled away the moment he saw them there.

            Erin Cross in all her glory gracefully stood up with a wide grin. And Steve couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Erin was dead. There was no way this was her. This was some cruel sick joke that some jerk like Brenner was playing.

            Then Erin was in front of him, one hand guiding his left to her cheek, and the second guiding his right too…

            His breath hitches as he felt it. The scar.

            “Erin,” his voice cracks.

            And he was kissing her like no tomorrow because they couldn’t fake that scar. Steve had spent hours memorizing it the first time he found it on her back. Tracing it. Feeling each indent. Memorizing its in’s and out’s. Because no one knew about the scar except Steve and Erin. They hadn’t told anyone about it when she got it, had been in the woods when she got where no one could listen, hear.

            When she’d fallen into the creek as they were goofing around. There was so much blood, Steve thought she had died then too. It was just a scratch though, easily bandegable. And Steve knew the feel of that scar better than any scientist.

            When he pulled away from her lips, he was shaking. Erin was instructing the kids to watch the five people with shaved heads ranging in ages. Then she was dragging him upstairs, whispering to him. The moment the door closed, he grasped her tightly in a hug. A few minutes in, he jerked harshly.

            He had Erin by the shoulders, hoping to convey how he felt about this. Through his voice, his eyes, his stance, his everything. Because what she had done was illegal and could have, not only gotten her arrested, but killed. His grip on her was tight, but her gaze was defiant, unswayed by everything he was conveying. And it tore him apart, ripped at his soul.

            “You could have died!” Steve screamed at her. “I could- you could have- Erin- you- Erin.”

            He sank to his knees, head pitching forward as he gasped out a sob. His hands continued to grip Erin, but his hands moved to her arms, clinging onto her. She seemed to pitch forward, curling around him carefully.

            “Never.”

            And he pulled her closer, sobbing into her hair. One arm gripped just above her waist as the second brushed the bloodied bandages above her hip. A bullet wound. She’d taken a bullet, nearly died had Six not been able to heal. She would have died. He could have lost her.

            “Erin,” he sobbed out Steve.

            “I’m here,” she cooed in his ear. “I’m here Steve.”

            He wondered if this is what it felt like for Erin when he died.

            There were currently five brand new people in his living room. All with tattoos and ranging in ages.

            And all he could care about was Erin Cross, in his arms, alive. He couldn’t stop crying. He repeated her name like no tomorrow as she whispered soft words and promises in his ear. Promises to say. He just couldn’t stop crying.

            He knew the others would show up, would want to see Erin, but he wasn’t going to let her go. Not after he just got her back. He really hoped they understood because he had locked the door and if anyone came and disrupted this, he would rip their head off. No one did, and he slept with Erin by his side for the first time since they started dating.

\-------------- The Next Day --------------

            Steve found that the five newest residents were already settled thanks to the others, and while everyone else crowded Erin, he introduced himself. Three, the oldest, was a 32 year old man who still held some defiance in his mind. He was better educated than the others by far. Four was a girl, around 26 years old, with sad eyes that made Steve’s heart melt. Six was a boy roughly a year younger than Jonathan and Nancy at 17, and he was kind. Twelve was a girl of about 12, younger than the kids, and extremely shy. And Fifteen was Holly’s age at five, and she still held some innocence. It wasn’t too late to enroll her in school, but there was no way Steve was going to do that.

            The first thing they did was choose names. Three chose Charlie, Four chose Jessica, Six wanted Henry, Twelve decided on Rebeca, and they gave Fifteen the name Katie.

            Trust was not there yet, but Steve would build it. Slowly.

\--------------- Two Days Later ---------------

            Steve had hardly let Erin go, let alone out of his sight, since she came back. Alive. Everyone seemed to be understanding and compliant. There were hugs all around, where Steve would have to let go of Erin. His hands shook whenever he wasn’t touching her. But she always came back, nestling in his arms like she was afraid to leave him too.

            Then her family shows up. And Steve, well, he let her go. Let her spend time with her father and brothers. Her mother died of cancer years ago. Erin doesn’t remember her much. Has always been closer to her brothers anyways. So he sat back and watched as they took her out to eat. Kali showed up with her gang after Erin has left.

            “Here,” Steve handed her the address that he had gotten Erin to write down. “I don’t care anymore.”

            And Kali is confused at first, but she pockets the address anyways and let’s El drag her to meet the others. He heard her punch a wall not even five minutes later. He doesn’t care if it damaged the wall. They needed an extension now anyways. He’s been debating on adding a TV room because despite the house’s size, the living room was still a bit too small for their ever-growing family and constantly visiting friends. He has got an excuse now. Now he just needed to figure out how to explain this to Charles and Mark without them flipping out.

            He hasn’t come up with anything.

            His hands were still shaking too, like they were searching for the warmth of Erin’s body. Like they had a need to know she was still alive. He only had a few seconds to process that the door was slammed open before a body was barreling into him.

            Erin was completely frantic, having a panic attack. He tried grounding. Grounding did not work like it did with Jonathan and himself. He tried getting her to breathe. Which was when he noticed she was speaking between her gasping breaths.

            “Hold me.”

            So he did. He slid off the chair he had been sitting on in the kitchen and stretched out on the ground with Erin laying on top of him. Her breathing slowed as he traces her old and new scar, memorizing them both. Then he has got her back in the chair with him as he rocks her back and forth. Steve wasn’t sure when they did it, but he was grateful as Max plopped a bowl of soup down in front of them, Mike handing Erin a spoon. He had been teaching the kids to cook after a long debate, and he was grateful for it now. Even if they had nearly set the kitchen on fire a few times.

            Steve was really starting to hate Erin’s father, especially after she told Steve that her father had made several jokes about her dying.

\---------------- One Week Since Erin Nearly Died ----------------

            Doctor Sam Owens himself gave them the news one day. It was raining, but it wasn’t a muggy rain. It was that warm, cooling sort of rain that pushed away the cold of winter and was bringing in spring just a bit early. Holly had said it was like the sky was crying tears of joy. Then Doctor Owens showed up.

            Doctor Martin Brenner was dead.

            The paperwork made Steve want to rip his head off. Mark and Charles were having a fit after Owens told them the truth. And Steve had to temporarily move back into his old house with his kids. All thirteen of them. He wasn’t kidding about the extension they desperately needed.

            And if Steve was still clinging to Erin, and Erin still clinging to him, no one said anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But nobody died! Except Doctor Brenner! Yay! No promises though.


	27. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Steve's second birthday with a family. And he has no idea what to expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who remembers my comment from yesterday?
> 
> Honestly, this isn't my favorite chapter. I feel like it needed something else, but I couldn't figure it out.

            This time, Steve knew it was his birthday, and all he wanted to do was lie in bed for a few more hours. But he had work, and the kids had school, so he pulled himself up and got ready for the day. It was as he was pulling a shirt over his head that he realized something. Realized how old he was.

            He had officially turned 20.

            He didn’t have much time to ponder this thought as Holly and Katie raced into the room. They were screaming something, but Steve honestly had no idea what they were screaming about. But his gaze drifted to Erin leaning against the door as Holly and Katie began to drag him towards the same door.

            “Happy Birthday,” Erin whispered as she planted her lips on his. “Twenty years old, huh?”

            And Steve chuckled as he was yanked forward by two five year old’s. Mike and Max were grinning as they began to put breakfast on the table. And those cooking lessons must of paid off because they were some good pancakes.

            The newer residents were watching with awe as Steve’s face lit up. Steve had taken to describing birthdays when he had gotten custody of the latest five newer residents. He let them choose the day and everything. But this was the first birthday they had ever experienced, so they were drinking everything in.

            There were several birthday cards from everyone, something Holly, apparently, had insisted on. They were everything from store bought to hand made, and Steve couldn’t stop beaming as he read each and showed the pictures. Also on Holly’s insistence.

            Each card found its way onto the mantle piece above the fireplace they had recently gotten installed. But despite it being his birthday, there was still a day ahead of them they had to tackle. He kissed Erin and told her to have a good day at school, to which she rolled her eyes. He got the four kids that actually went to school ready for school. He got work books out for Sam and Amy. He set up the TV and once more walked Charlie through how to use the remote. He got Henry and Rebeca out the new picture books they were using to learn letters. And then he got Jessica tucked in bed with the medicine Doctor Owens hoped would work.

            Jessica, Four, was ill. It struck suddenly just seven days after she started living with Steve. Doctor Owens was called in immediately, and he feared Jessica had always been ill. It was just catching up to her. She was always so tired, but so in awe of the world.

            Steve worried about her the most of all of his charges. Everyone was worried about Jessica.

            “Fun,” Jessica pushed his arm away gently. “Go. Fun.”

            “You’re fun too,” he smiled and kissed her forehead. They needed the attention, the affection. “I’ll be back. Like I always am.”

            Jessica smiled back and nodded as she curled under her covers and fell asleep. Steve envied her ability to fall asleep so easily. But he was out the door with a smile on his face as the kids’ voices drowned out the rest of the world.

\--------------------------------

            So, Flo made him a cake. His co-workers had decorated the station. And he was bent over himself laughing at their gag gift. They decorated Hopper’s work hat and gifted it to him. It’s all pink and glittery now. And Hopper is absolutely scandalized because he thought he _lost_ that hat and his employees _mutilated_ it. Steve couldn’t stop laughing as he threw it on his head and paraded around in it.

            They have to work after that, but there is no way there is going to be any cake left. Steve refused to take the hat off, and Callahan and Powell look like they regretted giving it to him at all. Because he wouldn’t take it off.

            They’d tried to grab it a few times.

            The kids came by after school with Nancy and Jonathan. He wouldn’t let them touch the hat either, but they finished off the cake quite happily.

            “Hopper’s keeping you another hour,” Mike informed him before they left. “We’ve got to finish setting up for your birthday. So you are staying here.”

            “Sure,” Steve shrugged as he continued to fill out paperwork in his pink hat. The party was not a surprise. They needed Steve’s permission to do some of the things they wanted to do. “Just don’t break anything.”

            Mike just beamed back.

            The party was fun, they all enjoyed themselves. There were games, and the newer residents were rather enjoying themselves. Even Kali and her gang showed up. This, without a doubt in Steve’s mind, was the second best birthday he ever had.

\------------------------

            The birthday was great, and Steve wore the hat for a week after. But that wasn’t the surprise. The surprise, came just a week after Steve’s birthday.

            Jessica was dying, and there was nothing Doctor Owens or anyone could do.

            She was currently curled up against Steve’s chest, listening as his voice washed over as he read the Hobbit to her. The last chapter. It was just Jessica and Steve when it happened. The others were downstairs, watching a movie, and he could hear the trudge of Erin’s footsteps.

            Then there was silence.

            From Jessica.

            Steve sobbed as he held her close, and Erin didn’t even make it through the door before she was chocking on sobs as she fell to her knees. El had been watching, had seen Jessica die. Hopper had already called an ambulance by the time Steve and Erin came back downstairs.

            Her funeral was the worst funeral Steve had ever been too. Barb’s was the second worst funeral he had ever been too.

            “Thank you,” Kali said at the funeral. Both Steve and Erin had hugged her when she approached. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

            “Always.”

\-------------------------

            It had taken far more convincing than anyone would have liked, but Steve got around to convincing everyone that they needed to be tested for different disease and illnesses. Especially cancer. Steve wasn’t sure he could go through losing someone else. Thankfully, Doctor Owens was excited to announce that all of the other were fit and as healthy as they could be after being previously malnourished.

            Charlie, Three, made a choice too. There were others, at least they hoped, and he wanted to find them. So he planned to aide Doctor Owens in finding those others. Steve let him, go but it hurt to see him go.

            “Go out with me?”

            Steve had been sitting on his bed when the voice startled him out of his thoughts. Erin stood against the door, smiling softly. Understanding and love were the only two things Steve could see. So he nodded and let Erin guide him out the door and to the car.

            The drive was long, but Steve was still too tired to care. It wasn’t until Erin pulled up to the place that Steve finally realized where he was. And it honestly brought a smile to his face.

            “I wanted food,” Erin shrugged at his excited grin. “Fat food.”

            Steve’s grin grew even wider. “I like fat food.”

            It was the pizza place, their pizza place. The one they had found when Steve had taken Erin to that museum those many months ago. And as they sat and stuffed the greasy pizza with dripping cheese into their mouths, Steve knew everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh. Don't really like this chapter, but I felt it was necessary.


	28. Stopping A Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve has just about had it with hearing about the bullies "Troy and James". If he ever sees their faces again then there are going to be some measures taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Troy and James infuriate me to no end. 
> 
> Please see the end for an important note.

            Erin was at college. The kids were all at school. Joyce was working. Hopper was at the station. Nancy and Jonathan were at school too. It was just Steve and his other four kids as he had the day off. Henry was trying really hard to memorize his words and get them down. He hated being so far behind, but also hated to ask for help. Steve had quickly learned when to intervene and when to stay back with him. Sam and Amy were growing pretty independent. They only called him over for help when they were really confused or needed him to check their work. Rebeca was the one adamant about having Steve or whoever was available help through everything.

            It made Steve feel giddy when they asked for his help. When any of the kids asked for his help. Katie, they had decided, would start elementary school. The teachers had been informed of her “family condition”, as they were calling it, and were supposed to be lenient towards her. Whether that was happening or not was another matter Steve was still trying to weed that information out of Holly and Katie.

            The call came as he finished checking over Amy and Sam’s math work.

            “Hello?” Steve hummed into the phone.

            _“Hello, Mr. Harrington,”_ and Steve’s brow furrows at the voice of his old principal. _“We need you to come to the school if you would, please. There has been an accident.”_

            “Of course.”

            A million terrible things were flying through Steve’s head as he jammed his shoes on his feet and threw on a jacket.

            “Amy is in charge!” he called into the house.

            He was out the door in seconds and in his car. Walking into the school made Steve scrunch up his noes as he stepped inside. Surprisingly, it wasn’t one of his official two in the chair. It was Will Byers.

            “Ah,” the principal adjusted his glasses. “Mr. Harrington. I’m sorry to call you in like this, but we were unable to call Mrs. Hopper and Jonathan is currently in the middle of an exam. You and Chief Hopper were the second emergency contacts.”

            Will was hanging his head, not meeting Steve’s gaze. Stepping in front of Will, Steve lifted the boy’s head and gasped. Will was sporting a rather nasty looking black eye that was already a _beautiful_ shade of purple.

            “I am sad to say, Mr. Harrington,” the principal spoke as Steve ghosted a hand over the bruise. “That Will started a fight.”

            Steve turned around slowly and stared at his former principle with a blank stare, not saying anything. The principle quickly sighed, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

            “Listen,” he sighed again. “Will is a good kid. He gets a lot of praise from his teachers. But as of the moment, I have Troy sitting with his parents in another room demanding that Will be punished because Troy claims he was attacked. And without proof, I can only go by word of mouth. You know how it is.”

            Steve sighed, really hating that name. The last time he had heard it, Mike’s injuries were made worse by the jerk and his friend James. He’d gotten the kid suspended for a month, but that was it.

            “It doesn’t matter,” Will’s voice came out strong. “He’s the rich kid with the wealthy parents and I’m the poor kid with nothing. He can say whatever he wants to and get away with it because he’s been careful. He makes sure no one is around when he attacks us.”

            “Yeah?” Steve huffed. “Well, I’m your rich emergency contact that isn’t going to let any of his kids get pushed around and let a jerk get away with it. Now, how long has this been going on?”

            Will shrugged. “Most of my life,” Will muttered. “But he started being secretive about beating us up after the suspension ended.”

            “And how does Will having a black eye mean that Troy was attacked?” Steve directed this question at the principle.

            “Troy was bleeding,” the principle sighed. “Will said Troy tripped him and his nails scraped Troy’s arm, but it looks like an attack.”

            Steve rolled his eyes in annoyance. He knew that card. It made him wince at the thought and look away from Will and at the ceiling. To where a security camera was recording everything.

            “Was this on school property?” Steve asked suddenly.

            Will nodded. “It was in the hallway,” he said, already defeated. “I was running late to class because I forgot a book and Troy tripped me. Then a teacher came out after he punched me for scratching him. The teacher took his side.”

            “Okay,” Steve nodded. “Last question. Do those things work?”

            And the principle just sort of stared dumb-struck at the security camera before him. He eventually nodded, and Steve grinned as he ruffled Will’s hair.

\-----------------

            “Honestly,” Troy’s mother huffed. “This boy better be punished. No one can just hurt my son.”

            “If that is the case, ma’am,” the principle hummed. “The security footage will reveal it.”

            Troy was sneering at Will as the principle set up the footage. There was no sound, but it wasn’t needed. It was quite clear what happened. Will was walking down the hallway when Troy and James just appeared. Troy threw his leg out, swiping Will’s feet from underneath him. Will had tried to grab Troy’s arm to break the fall, scratching the other in the process. Troy clearly screamed at Will and slammed Will against the locker. Then he punched Will in the face. A classroom door opened, and Troy began to fake being injured.

            “That is not my son,” Troy’s mother scowl. “I don’t know who made this, but it isn’t funny.”

            “Ma’am,” the principle said firmly, glaring at the woman. “I myself just pulled this footage from our security camera on Mr. Harrington’s insistence. No one has made anything. This is indeed your son. Not only has he beat up another student, but he lied about it too. This can, and will, result in a suspension.”

            “This is absurd!” Troy’s mother shrieked.

            “Don’t think this is over, _queer,”_ Troy hissed, but he wasn’t at all quiet.

            “That is enough,” the principal barked. “You are going to be given a two month suspension. There will be no arguments and I expect to see you back more disciplined. Do I make myself clear?”

            Troy nodded, still glaring at Will. But Steve’s hand found its way to Will’s shoulder, and Troy had to shrink back from the glare Steve was giving him.

            “I will sue!” Troy’s mother screeched.

            “Oh,” Steve grinned wickedly at the woman. “How fun it will be to out bribe your judge.”

            They were gone in a huff. They never did end up suing. Steve made sure of that. And if his bank account was a little lower, no one had to know. Will just beamed at him the entire time Steve took him home. Steve even bought Will ice cream before going to Steve’s house and calling Joyce. The black eye was gone the moment Henry touched it.

\--------------------

            Steve really wished that had been the last time Troy and James had entered their lives. It wasn’t. And that fact was brought up quite painfully when a all six friends raced into the house. And a rock followed them through a window.

            “Come on, freaks!” Troy taunted from outside. “We just wanna play!”

            Steve glared as he opened the front door. He didn’t get a chance to say anything as a rock instantly made contact with his forehead. There was a lot of screaming as Steve’s body hit the porch with a groan. He was just glad he wasn’t unconscious. Shoving himself up, Steve was across the yard in two seconds, gripping the two running boys by the back of their shirts.

            “I don’t think so,” Steve glared down at the boys.

            There was definitely blood coming down his face. Throwing the toy boys in kitchen chairs, Steve made a call to Hopper at the station, then dragged Troy and James to the car. Powell was on his way out to assess the damage to Steve’s house the moment Steve walked into the station dragging the two in by the back of their shirts. Flo immediately started to treat Steve’s face as Callahan took the two boys to chairs. Hopper was not amused by the story Steve told.

            Neither was Troy’s mother, but James’ mother at least looked scandalized.

            “Listen,” Hopper snapped at Troy’s mother, effectively quieting her down. “This isn’t the first time your son has tried to do something like this. He tried to make Mike Wheeler commit suicide, almost ripped Dustin Henderson’s teeth out with a knife, and I have several other reports here. If your son was an adult, he would have been tried.” Hopper had to hold up a hand as she tried to speak. “And at this point, you would have lost, because Steve is more than willing to out-bribe you for his kids. Not only that, but he attacked a member of the police force. Which is a serious offense. At this point, we’re looking at juvie.”

            Troy’s mother blew up at this. But James’ mother was positively green, as if she was seeing her son for the first time. Steve pitied her. He couldn’t imagine not really knowing any of his kids at all. In the end, that was the decision, after they called in Troy’s father. Troy and James were going to be sent to juvie.

            Steve hadn’t felt this relieved since the Upside Down was closed and three of his kids came into his custody. It was a nice feeling. Though Henry healing his cut was a nice feeling too.

            With the replacement of the window, Steve added yet another expansion to the house. Just another room. He was calling it the family room. Sure, they had a living room and a TV room, but he didn’t ever want to look at any of his kids the way James’ mother looked at him. The kids seemed to like it though, which was nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially started writing the spin-off book, so this is the last call. If you have a scene from this book you would like to see from someone else's perspective, please speak now. Tell me the chapter and the character(s) you wish to see a reaction from.


	29. The Children of The Streets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is seriously wrong with Erin, but she won't say anything. Worried for the love of his life, Steve will do anything she asks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves for a sad chapter with a soft ending.

            Erin had been off recently, and no matter how much Steve probed and pried, she would not tell him what was wrong. Whatever it was, though, it was bad. Erin wouldn’t leave her bed, wouldn’t talk, and hardly ate anything. And Steve was growing desperate.

            He’d made Erin’s favorite that night when he finally saw her react to whatever was bothering her. Her sobs reached his ears first and he was racing up the stairs faster than he thought possible. But there was no reason to be alarmed. She was holding Holly and Katie close, sobbing into them as the two girls sang Holly’s nonsense song.

            “I’m not ready yet,” Erin told him after she had stopped crying and the two girls had fallen asleep in Erin’s laugh. “I’ll tell you someday, but I’m not ready yet. It hurts too much.”

            And yes, Steve was upset that Erin was keeping a secret, but; “When you are ready,” he promised with a kiss to her forehead.

            He’d been trying to pry all week and gotten nowhere. He would wait, because whatever was bothering Erin was bad. Demodog bad. Which meant time and patience, just as Erin had done for him.

            “I love you,” Erin sniffed, and she sounded so desperate that Steve’s heart clenched. It was like she didn’t expect him to say it back.

            “I love you too,” he breathed into her hair, peppering her crown with kisses. “I love you so much. More than anything. I love you.”

            He wished he could chase away whatever demons were scaring her, but there was nothing he could do. So he made her a promise, that no matter what happened, or what she said, he would love her.

\--------------------------------

            Steve really hated when Erin went of field trips and he wasn’t there. She was only supposed to be gone for three days, but he had been tense for all three of those days. No one really blamed him, and El was constantly reassuring him that Erin was alright. It didn’t really ease anything, but it was nice to know. She had gone to take her mind off whatever was bothering her, and Steve was okay with that. Not really.

            He was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book late at night while everyone was asleep, when Erin finally got home. He was kissing her before she even had a foot through the door.

            “I love you,” he breathed against her lips. “I love you so much.”

            Erin laughed softly, breaking the kiss and beaming up at him. She seemed better, not back to being perfect, but better. Like she had slowly come to terms with whatever was bothering her.

            “I love you, too,” she breathed back. And it was still that desperate tone she had used those few days ago.

            “Baby,” he asked softly. “Are you alright? Can I help?”

            “Come with me,” she whispered. “I want to show you something. Then I will tell you.”

            “Where,” he asked. “Tell me where and I will go anywhere with you.”

            Erin smiled softly, nerves shaking her body. Steve held her close as she released a shaky breath, and he held her close. And slowly, the kids all curled around Erin too. Whatever this was that was hurting Erin, they all saw it.

            They didn’t leave that night, or the next day. Erin wouldn’t stop shaking for those two days. The third day found them walking through an alley way in Chicago. Steve froze as he saw Erin step forward towards a dumpster. Three were two little boys in the dumpster, shivering and wrapped in newspaper.

            “Erin,” Steve breathed softly. “What is this?”

            “They’re alone,” Erin said softly. “Scared. Cold. Steve, I’m sorry.”

            “Erin,” Steve whispered softly. “What is this? What’s wrong? Please.”

            And watching Erin take the kids out of the dumpster and begin to sob made Steve’s heart break in a way it never had with Nancy. They ended up getting a hotel room, taking the boys with them. Erin wouldn’t speak as she and Steve cleaned up the kids and let them rest.

            “I can’t have kids,” Erin breathed as she sat on the couch. “At least, there is almost no chance I can have a child of my own.”

            “Erin-”

            “It’s something genetic,” Erin breathed painfully. “My aunt on my mother’s side had it, and my second cousin on my father’s side. And it got passed to me. I may never be able to have kids.”

            “Erin,” Steve cooed as he slid his hand under her chin. “Look at me, baby.”

            “I’m sorry,” Erin breathed. “So sorry, Steve. But I can never give you kids. I’m so sorry. So, so sorry.”

            “Erin,” Steve said again. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t you see, we already have some kids. Remember, we have so many kids at home. We’ve raised them, together. And we’ll keep raising them. Together, alright? I don’t care if you can’t have kids or not. I just want you.”

            “Steve?”

            “But I’ve got to ask,” he hummed. “Why did we pick up two boys out of a dumpster?”

            Erin chuckled, a wet sounding thing that made Erin’s entire body shake. But it was the first time Erin had smiled in a ling time. Steve smiled back, but he was honestly confused about the two boys in the room.

            “I figured the Harrington Home for the Wayward wouldn’t mind a few more members,” Erin said honestly, curling against Steve’s chest. “And I couldn’t let them stay there on the streets. Not when they were that scared.”

            The Harrington Home for the Wayward had a nice ring to it. One Steve found himself very fond of. He could live with that name.

\---------------------

            Erin had found the boys on her “field trip” when some of her college buddies tried to cheer her up. Benny was the youngest and was the same age as Holly and Katie. Carter was three years older than his brother but had the mindset of at least a teenager. And there was absolutely no way Steve was going to leave these two kids on the streets. Carter did not trust them at all, but it was clear he was too sick to put up a real fight. Benny just needed food and he clung to the two like heroes. Carter didn’t want to touch the food.

            “Look,” Steve sighed as he shifted the food on Carter’s lap. “I don’t expect you to trust me. I don’t expect any favors either. I just want to help. You’re sick, and your brother needs help too. We both know it.”

            Carter still wouldn’t touch the food, or the medicine Erin had pulled out of her bag. Desperate measures.

            “What would your brother do if you died?” Steve whispered softly. “He needs you, and you need him.”

            “You don’t know anything,” Carter spat. “You don’t know what we go through. We’ll be fine.”

            “You’re wrong,” Steve shook his head. “I may not know what it is like to be on the streets, but I do know what it is like to be rejected. To have everyone scoff at you and neglect you. To be scorned for things you can’t control. I know what it is like to be turned away. Just be glad you had your brother, because I was left alone.”

            Steve left the hotel room after that, drove around Chicago a bit, then decided to buy some lunch for them back at the hotel. It hit him that he had left Erin behind with two boys who needed care and attention. He quickly parked at a McDonalds and prepared to go in when he spotted something. A little girl on a street corner.

            “Hey, sweetie,” he cooed softly. “What’s your name?”

            The girl watched him with big eyes and softly held her hands out. Steve felt a stab to his gut as he sat beside her.

            “Are you hungry, sweetie?” he asked softly, jabbing his thumb towards the McDonalds. “Can I buy you some food?”

            The girl’s eyes grew even wider. She nodded vigorously and let Steve scoop her up. He tried not to wince at the feeling of how skinny she was. The people in the restaurant scowled as Steve order food for the girl and those at the hotel. He carefully told the girl where they were going to go, and they cared the food to his car. She marveled at the vehicle and played with all of the buttons on the radio. Steve didn’t mind, just hummed softly.

            Erin grinned at the little girl who helped carry food and offered to help her clean up. Carter wouldn’t meet Steve’s eye, and Benny was just excited at the prospect of more food. Erin and Steve had to monitor the kids eating as they kept trying to scarf down the food. Erin warned them they would get sick if they ate too much, and Carter began to look worried. He still wouldn’t look at Steve.

            “Hannah,” the girl finally spoke, her voice scratchy and hoarse. “My name is Hannah.”

            “It’s nice to meet you, Hannah,” Steve smiled at her.

\------------------------

            Mike thought they were absolutely crazy, but that didn’t stop him from joining the others in setting up a place for the three to stay. It was normal for the group to shift every so often, and it helped that the Steve had gotten a few guest rooms in case Kali brought more kids. It helped that Carter and Benny wanted to stay in the same room. By the time the week was out, Katie, Holly, and Benny were best friends, Hannah followed Max around like a lost puppy, and Carter had grown attached to Henry.

            “I think we have a pretty great family,” Steve hummed to Erin where she was tucked under his arm.

            And the hum that Erin gave back let Steve know everything was going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad but fluffy chapter.


	30. An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve runs into a face at work he never thought he would see again. It hadn't even occurred to him what would have happened. And in a sense, Steve is adopting someone else. So long as they get along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta post early today, guys. Some things going on with Christmas and life and stuff. I've started writing for the spin-off book and that should be up as soon as I finish posting for this book.
> 
> There are some one-shots I posted too. I think you guys might like those. Or I hope.
> 
> You might have already seen The Sister of Steve Harrington, but I also wrote Darkness and What Do You Tell Them. The third one is a bit violent.

            There was absolutely no doubt in Steve’s mind that he would be bringing in more kids as the years went by. Other than hoping to become a police officer, taking care of kids was something that just felt right. But it was apparently frowned upon for Steve to legally take care of all those kids on his own. Which was exactly why he slammed his head down onto his desk after he finally finished filling out his half of the paperwork to make Erin the second legal guardian of all eleven kids. Powell gave a chuckle from where he was flipping through a newspaper, to which Steve glared.

            “Leave the boy alone,” Flo scolded as she placed a mug of coffee on Steve’s desk. “I don’t see you trying to properly take care of several small children who deserve love and attention.”

            Steve grinned at Flo as she handed him an envelope, already filled out and stamped for Steve to send off to Charles and Mark. He really loved that woman. Of course, as he was preparing to slip it into the station mailbox, Chief Hopper and Callahan burst in with a very familiar face in handcuffs. Cuffing the guy to a chair, they quickly approached the group, blocking Steve from the person’s view. Not that the guy had looked up anyways.

            “What did he do?” Flo asked, none to quietly.

            “Trying to steal alcohol,” Hopper sighed. “He’s sober too, so can’t get him on that charge.”

            “Let me talk to him,” Steve whispered under his breath. “Please. Just, let me talk to him.”

            Hopper frowned but nodded slowly. “If he tries anything, I’ll throw him in jail faster than you can blink.”

            Steve didn’t respond, just grabbed his desk chair and moved it to sit in front of the guy. The guy still wouldn’t look up, but the way he tensed let Steve know he was aware of at least someone being there. Steve sighed as he sank into the chair, sending Hopper a look. Thankfully, Flo got the message and ushered everyone working into Hopper’s office.

            “Tommy,” Steve spoke firmly. “Come on, man. Look at me.”

            Tommy H. glared at Steve before dropping his gaze to his cuffed wrist. Steve sighed. He hadn’t been friends with Tommy since their falling out in high school. Tommy blamed Nancy, but that was only part of the reason, and Steve couldn’t tell Tommy the other reason.

            “Tommy,” Steve hummed softly.

            “Back off, Steve,” Tommy bit angrily, snapping his gaze up to glare at Steve. “Not everyone has parents who pay for their every whim.”

            And things sort of clicked into place. Tommy looked dead awful. His outfit was too thin for the weather and seemed to be caked in dirt and other things. He looked cold, and like he hadn’t slept in months.

            “Your parents kicked you out?” Steve breathed out in shock. “Tommy-”

            “What, Steve?” Tommy growled. “What did you want me to do? Turn up on your doorstep? Guess what Steve, we aren’t friends anymore.”

            Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. Tommy’s glare had dropped back to his cuffed wrist His pride had clearly prevented him from going to Carol for help. Steve had to wonder if they were even still dating.

            “I’ll talk to Hopper,” Steve sighed, making Tommy’s head snap up. “You can stay with me and Erin for as long as you need. As long as you don’t mind being surrounded by eleven kids.”

            “Why?” Tommy asked. Steve assumed there was meant to be venom behind it, but it came out more startled that angry. “What are you getting out of this?”

            Steve shrugged. “Nothing,” he said softly. “Well, maybe my friend back. If you’re willing.”

            Tommy dropped his gaze again, but there was a shake to his body, like he was holding back tears. Hopper had already stepped out, frowning at Steve, but giving a nod. Hopper quickly unlocked Tommy’s wrist and put a hand on his shoulder.

            “Steve’s risking a lot by taking you in,” Hopper stated firmly.

            “Hopper,” Steve said softly. “I can handle it. Really.”

            Hopper nodded and pulled away from Tommy, who wasn’t looking at them. “You’ll need to come in early tomorrow.”

            “Don’t I always,” Steve grinned as he steered Tommy to the door. “See you guys.”

            Tommy shivered as they stepped outside, feeling the cold air around them. The heater was on as soon as they stepped into the car.

            “Why?” Tommy whispered again.

            Steve didn’t say anything as they pulled up at Steve’s house. Thank goodness it was Thursday or Steve wasn’t sure how he would have dealt with Max and Mike’s protests. He would still need to figure out how to handle their protests though. The other negative was that Erin was still at classes. So there were a lot of kids still left to stare at Tommy as they walked inside.

            “Hi,” Rebeca greeted softly.

            “Hi,” Tommy hummed nervously as he shifted on his feet.

            “Aren’t you guys supposed to be doing homework,” Steve said with a mock glare. “Come on guys, lets go. Tommy needs time to settle first.”

            “Is he going to stay here?” Henry asked as he helped herd the kids back to their work.

            Steve nodded and went back to where Tommy stood nervously. He herded Tommy upstairs, moving him into a guest room with a bathroom.

            “There’s a shower in here,” Steve nodded towards the door. “Should be supplies in there already. I’ll get you some clothes and I’ll be downstairs when you finish.”

            Tommy nodded again as he walked to the bathroom, still shivering. After getting clothes for Tommy, Steve walked downstairs to help the kids that instantly flocked to him. Even Carter, who was still recovering from his illness, was working on a math page as the TV hummed in the background.

            The kids who went to school got home before Tommy got out of the shower.

            “Are you crazy?” Mike demanded.

            “Yes,” Steve snapped back. “But there is no way I am going to let him freeze to death on the streets. Now, behave.”

            Mike frowned, clearly ready to say more, but Tommy walked downstairs at that moment. He was positively swimming in the clothes Steve gave him. It made Steve’s stomach clench as Tommy shifted on his feet.

            “Come on,” Steve led Tommy to the couch beside Carter. “Why don’t you watch some television while I help the kids with homework. I’ll make dinner too.”

            Tommy perked slightly at that, and Steve remembered the times he used to cook for Tommy and Carol. Carter seemed to regard Tommy as he regarded everyone, but Steve couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on his face as he watched Carter pass Tommy one of the goldfish Steve had set out for him.

            “Like us,” Carter hummed back to Tommy. “Alone, but not alone anymore.”

\-------------------------------------

            Tommy had been staying with them for two days by the time Steve found himself on Carol’s doorstep. She was tending Community College, and as it was Saturday, he hoped she would be home. Carol’s mother was glad to see him, never quite losing her fondness for him even after the trio had their falling out. He sat down at the table as Carol’s mother went to fetch Carol.

            “What do you want, Steve?” Carol bit, making Steve chuckle at the similarity between boyfriend and girlfriend.

            “How have you been?” Steve asked as Carol’s mother handed him a glass of water. “How’s college?”

            “Stop playing around,” Carol hissed. “What do you want?”

            Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair as he locked eyes with Carol.

            “When was the last time you spoke to Tommy?”

            The way Carol tensed put Steve on edge. But she shook her head, look down at the glass she held in her lap. She didn’t know. He had dropped all ties with her.

            “Did you know his parents kicked him out?” Carol’s head snapped up.

            This was news to her, which was good. This meant that Tommy’s pride really had gotten in the way of their relationship. Carol was shaking as she opened and closed her mouth a few times. Steve was trying to figure out how to proceed when Carol blurted something out.

            “Is he dead?” she gasped, looking frantic and wild. “Did he- is he dead? Did they find his body?”

            “No!” Steve quickly stated. “No, he’s okay. He’s fine. Or as fine as he can be.”

            Carol let out a pained gasp as she threw her arms around Steve and sobbed. Steve hugged back, holding her and rocking her back and forth. He thought he lost Erin once, he could understand this relief.

            “Do you want to see him?”

            Carol nodded against his chest, still sobbing freely. It took a bit, but Carol stopped crying enough to let Steve take her to the house. Tommy froze when Carol tackled him in a fierce hug, but he melted into her touch, letting her sob against him.

            “You dumb idiot,” Carol sobbed. “You dumb, dumb idiot.”

            “I’m sorry,” Tommy whispered. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left. Should have gone to you.”

            “You’re okay,” she breathed out. “I thought you died. You were just gone.”

            “I’m sorry,” Tommy said again, voice wavering. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m here now. I’m sorry.”

            Steve felt something well in his chest, something warm. The same feeling that graced him whenever he helped kids. It was a feeling Steve had become accustomed with, and one that Steve hoped he kept feeling. That feeling became something even better when Erin walked in and kissed his cheek.

\---------------------------

            Flo mailed those papers for him, which was great. But the package on his desk was a bit surprising. No one in the office seemed to know who it was from, not even Flo. And most of the people in the office were pretty good at lying. Steve opened the package slowly and gaped at its content. Inside was a plaque with a rather interesting inscription.

            _The Harrington Home for The Wayward_

            Steve had it hanging above his door not long after he got home. And if Tommy teased him endlessly about it, Steve would just grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, I am one of those people that thinks everyone deserves a second chance. And Steve needs friends, even if things didn't originally work out. I gave Steve friends his age.


	31. Talking To Someone You Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was the last person Steve wanted to have dinner with. With or without Erin there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Familiar face. Not a pleasant one.

            Steve did not want to have this conversation, even with Erin by his side. He would much rather throw himself off a building than have this darn conversation. But it was sort of a suggestion from Mark and Charles, and all Steve needed to do was talk. That didn’t make the situation any better, but he wasn’t going to argue. Sitting in Benny’s with Erin, Steve did his best not to glower as Karen Wheeler sat across from them.

            “Thank you,” she said hesitantly, “for seeing me.”

            Steve nodded, not really sure what to say. Erin clenched his hand under the table, letting Steve relax slightly. But this was still extremely uncomfortable.

            “I don’t think I’ve met you before,” Karen turned to Erin, watching her carefully.

            “She is my partner,” Steve said, his voice flat. “She helps me protect the kids currently in my care and is their second legal guardian.”

            Karen nodded slowly, sipping the soda in front of her.

            “I’ve been getting better,” she said quickly. “The people have helped. I’ve got better control. So, I was hoping I could see them. Maybe. Please.”

            Steve sighed. “We’ll see,” Steve hummed. “They don’t know I’m meeting you yet. I wanted to see how this went before I talked to them about seeing you.”

            Karen nodded and sipped her drink again. Erin ended up carrying most of the conversation, which Steve was grateful for. Karen had a right to see her kids, Steve knew that, but he was still worried. It had hardly been a year since they last saw Karen, and even with Spring flowing in, Mike could hold a grudge.

            “I’ll talk to them,” Steve hummed softly as they prepared to leave. “I promise.”

            Karen nodded gratefully and left.

\--------------------------

            “No!” Mike barked back. “No! There is no way!”

            Steve sighed. “I know, Mike.”

            “I’m with Mike,” Nancy nodded her head at her brother. “I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to talk to her.”

            They were at the Byers, Tommy and Erin watching the other kids as the monster hunting party discussed this. It wasn’t going well. Obviously.

            “She’s back in Hawkins,” Steve said with another sigh, a common theme with him today. “You are going to see her whether you like her or not. This can go two ways. You can either talk with her on open terms, or we might have a repeat. Honestly, I don’t trust those Funny Farm people, so I can’t really tell you if she is stable or not. But I promise, I will be there for you.

            “Me too,” El took Mike’s hand.

            “Hey,” Dustin jumped up. “Why don’t we all be there? That way we can keep an eye on Mrs. Wheeler.”

            That, actually, wasn’t a bad idea.

\-----------------------------

            By the time Steve, Mike, and Holly got to the Byers house, Karen had already arrived. Nancy was tucked quite tightly into Jonathan’s side as the other four teens were actively setting up the D&D board. They were passing this off as a simple get together, welcoming Karen home. The air was already tense as Karen sat to the side, watching the scene unfold. It almost hurt to see Karen perk up at Holly, only to watch the younger rush right past her mother and towards Hopper.

            This was going to be a long night.

            Setting the casserole he made on the table, Steve went over to Nancy and Jonathan, who were both extremely tense. Nancy gave a wary smile and Jonathan gave a tight nod. They should have had this at Steve’s house.

            “You alright?” he asked softly.

            Nancy shook her head, eyeing her mother as if she expected her to pounce. Which was quite probable. And not at all comforting. The D&D session was a nice distraction as Mike made it a complete joke and the entire house found themselves laughing along. They decided against eating dinner together as the atmosphere was still too tense to handle.

            “I’m sorry,” Karen breathed to Steve as she cornered him alone in the kitchen. “This was a bad idea. Take care of them, Steve.”

            And Steve watched her leave, no one else noticing as the woman left. But there was a shift in the atmosphere as she left, not that anyone else noticed. It was around midnight by the time the group dispersed and went home. Not that anyone cared. It was Friday after all.

\------------------------------

            Saturday found both Will and El at the Harrington Home for the Wayward. Jonathan and Nancy were doing college visits with Hopper and Joyce almost regularly now. Today was the fated college of NYU. Steve had half a mind to bribe the school to let the two in, but that was unnecessary. Steve knew they would both get in, and the trust funds would completely cover the cost.

            Things had gotten better for Will too. Not perfect, but noticeably better. There were less nightmares, less midnight visits. Less of being haunted by the Upside Down. It was a noticeable shift, but not one anyone talked about. Because Will _looked_ better, which made Jonathan relax more and Joyce seem less like the world was on her shoulders. Even Hopper seemed better with his wife and new family around to make him smile. They didn’t talk about it because they didn’t need to.

            It was Sunday, and Steve was getting the mail for the Byers when he saw it. Two letters for NYU mixed with several bills and college letters. He didn’t touch the college letters, letting them rest on the table for when the group got back, but if he payed the bills and shoved them in the mailbox, no one had to know. Joyce and Hopper would totally hound him later.

            The group got back late, around one in the morning, looking tired and all too eager to just crash at Steve’s house. Not that Steve minded. But he got them all to the couch first, pushing them down and thrusting the NYU letters into Nancy and Jonathan’s hand.

            “Steve?” Nancy gasped.

            “I didn’t open it!” Steve raised his hand defensively. “They were in your mail this morning and I wanted to wait for you guys.”

            “Open them,” Joyce was practically bouncing. “Come on, let’s see.”

            Nancy and Jonathan tore into the letters eagerly, reading over them. A look of excitement crossed Jonathan’s face before it fell again.

            “Jonathan?” Joyce asked as her son looked positively morbid.

            “I got in,” Jonathan said softly. “But I didn’t get the scholarship.”

            Steve scoffed. “You don’t need one,” he hummed and reached into his pocket. “It’s already been paid for. Both of you.”

            Nancy and Jonathan hesitantly took the second envelopes from Steve with wary gazes.

            “No give backs!” Steve cried as he raced upstairs and locked his door.

            Jonathan positively blew up downstairs. Yep, that went about as well as Steve imagined it would. He didn’t regret it though. It was totally worth it.

\------------------------------

            Karen had done her best to stay away from the kids, but sometimes situations couldn’t be helped. Mike nearly slammed the door in her face when she showed up on their doorstep. Nearly, because Steve had been the one to open the door.

            “Sorry,” Karen kept muttering. “My car broke down. Sorry.”

            Karen’s car had broken down about a block away, but her reputation had been tainted by the abuse to her children. No one Karen had asked previously would help. With much convincing, Steve and Tommy found themselves doing their best to fix Karen’s car. It needed to be towed.

            “Sorry,” she just kept mumbling.

            Steve honestly wanted to rip his hair out.

            They found out later that Karen and Ted had gotten a divorce after another fight at home. Steve found himself taking Karen home, getting her car towed, and even paying for the repairs. Tommy told him he was nuts. Erin called him an idiot, but hugged him anyways, and Steve just wanted to curl into a ball and pretend the world didn’t exist.

            “You are, like, physically incapable of hating anyone,” Tommy pointed out.

            Erin shrugged. “That’s not technically a bad thing,” she hummed. “Threes?”

            Tommy growled as he handed Erin three Threes, a laugh of triumph leaving Erin’s lips.

            “Yeah,” Steve hummed. “But one day it’s going to get me killed.”

            “Kings, Steve,” Erin asked.

            Tommy slammed his head on the table as Steve gave Erin the two Kings Erin needed to win their game of Go-Fish. Tommy had yet to beat Erin in Go-Fish, and he was determined to beat her. Steve just liked watching them compete.

            But Steve had a feeling that seeing Karen Wheeler was going to be an unwelcome normality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the spin-off is going to be more thoughts and won't be as long. But it shall be posted as soon as this book ends.


	32. An Arrest And A Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's job sees quite a few scares. But he hasn't quite reached the stage where he can actually deal with the scares. Or has he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Two chapters left guys. Then we get a spin-off.

            This was a terrible idea and Steve couldn’t believe anyone had let himself come up with it. They were trying to make a deck. After constantly hiring construction works, Steve decided to give the poor guys a break by roping the kids into helping him add a small deck they would build off the porch. But half the kids couldn’t hammer, and those that could had foolishly decided to be the ones to hold the boards in place. It had taken all morning and into the afternoon to get anywhere close to finishing.

            “This was a terrible idea,” Steve reiterated for the hundredth time as they held the last board in place.

            “Yep,” Tommy popped the word in his mouth from where he stood behind Steve. “The next time you come up with a great idea, we are hiring a contractor.”

            “Agreed,” Erin grunted as someone stepped on the board.

            A few more pounds and cursing from above had Max declaring them done. Steve and Tommy definitely went and reinforced the thing, fixing nails and checking others. The kids didn’t do half bad.

            “No offense, Steve,” Tommy hummed as they prepared the stairs. “But we are getting a professional to paint the deck.”

            Steve laughed and made the kids hold this time. They got the stairs done way faster. Honestly, the whole reason Steve wanted the deck was because summer was approaching, and he had a large yard. He wanted to be able to see his kids when they dashed about the yard. To make sure they were safe. Tommy teased him endlessly about being such a mom, but Steve watched as Tommy grew attached to the kids. He said nothing about it though, just smiled.

            “So how is policing?” Erin hummed once the kids were swimming in the pool and the three were sipping sodas. “Figured out what you are going to do?”

            “No,” Steve shook his head.

            In order to be a police officer, Steve had to do at least two years of training. Which meant leaving his kids for two years. He wasn’t really going to be able to visit either. He and Hopper had been trying to work something out, but it wasn’t easy. There were so many requirements, and the program couldn’t just adjust itself for one person. They were trying though, really trying.

            “Steve,” Erin hummed softly. “You can go, I’ll look after them. You know I will, and you know Tommy will help.”

            “Yeah,” Tommy nodded. “We can figure something out. You know that, right? That even you need help.”

            Steve nodded. “I trust you,” he said softly. “I do, but this is just a part of me. Not being here to support the kids would feel like a part of me was just ripped away.”

            The smiles on his kids face as they swam and played in the pool put Steve at ease, because those smiles had become a part of his life.

\--------------------------------------

            Steve grinned eagerly at his co-workers as they tried to keep a paper ball in the air to pass the time. Hopper was locked away in his office, and this was one of their slower days. Not that Steve minded, but Hopper seemed stressed about something. And he wasn’t budging on what it was.

            The phone rang, and a collective groan followed as Flo picked up the phone. The person was clearly frantic as she tried to calm the person down. Steve was quick to pick up the other line. His blood ran cold at the words.

            _“Help…beating…won’t stop…his child…mother…dead”_

“Where,” Steve demanded into the phone. “Come on, where?”

            _“Loch Nora.”_

            The address was close to Steve’s old house, and he paced more than he ever had as Hopper and several other on duty police officers left at least twenty minutes ago. Powell running back in was startling.

            “We need you,” Powell panted as he yanked Steve towards the door.

            The crime scene had a guy being held down to the ground outside the house and several officers standing near the door. Powell directed Steve towards the door and down a hallway. A little girl, about Carter and Rebeca’s age, sat on the ground, sobbing. She was completely covered in bruises and cuts, shying away from Hopper.

            Steve quickly relieved Hopper, getting on the girl’s level.

            “Hey,” he cooed softly. “Hey sweetie. Hey.”

            The girl sobbed harder, pushing herself into the corner.

            “Hey,” Steve continued. “It’s okay. They took your dad away. He won’t hurt you sweetie. Your safe. Yeah? See? No one wants to hurt you.”

            The girl sobbed, barely able to open her swollen eyes and look at Steve. Steve slowly put his hands up so the girl could see no weapons, and placed his feet out of the way, so she could see he meant no harm. He didn’t expect her to stop crying, which she didn’t, but she let herself regard Steve.

            “I’m Steve,” he smiled brightly. “What’s your name?”

            “Maddison,” she sniffed softly.

            “Maddison,” Steve practically sang the name. “What a pretty name for a pretty princess.”

            Maddison was still sobbing, but she watched as Steve beamed at her. Steve lowered his head, shaking it so his hair flopped.

            “My kids say I have silly hair,” Steve hummed, still grinning. “Do I?

            Steve shook his head again, and a laugh escaped past Maddison’s lips as she watched it flop about. Then she bulked, terrified of what she had done. Steve didn’t drop his smile though.

            “You have a pretty laugh too,” he cooed gently.

            He moved his hands so that one was still up, and the other was offered palm up. Coaxing her towards him. Slowly, hesitantly, Maddison placed her hand in Steve’s and let herself move towards them. The moment she was leaning into Steve’s chest, she was sobbing again. Steve held her close letting her sob, and with her consent, carefully picked her up. He went with her as far as the Doctors would let her, and when she was done, he sat by her side as she slept. By the end of the night, Steve already considered Maddison one of his kids.

\--------------------------

            Maddison was still trying to adjust to being in a house with people who cared. And Steve was so glad each of his kids had their own trauma because they were tip-toeing around her. Max was the closest to Maddison, mainly because of shared trauma and abuse. Other than Steve, Max was the only one really allowed to touch Maddison. She was okay with Erin, Holly, Rebeca, Amy, and Katie’s touch though, but even they had to keep touch limited. Not that anyone complained.

            “Hungry?” Steve motioned to the food he had made.

            Maddison had compliancy beat into her, that much was clear, and Steve found he had to press to get Maddison to react to something as simple as eating and sleeping. He was trying to break that habit, tried to give her freedom back. It was a work in progress.

            “Yeah,” Maddison nodded as she watched the other kids go to the table.

            And Steve felt his heart swell as she joined the kids at the table. Not a good, not yet, but certainly better.

\-----------------------------------------

            Flo was retiring. That was not at all what anyone expected at all, but it wasn’t a surprise either. Especially after she had tripped at the station a few weeks back and nearly broken her hip. She was getting old, and she had secretly found a place she intended to move too.

            That turned out to be the thing Hopper had been stressed about because he couldn’t find a replacement. Steve nearly slapped him when Hopper brought it up.

            “I enjoy it,” Steve pointed out, “and it gives me an excuse to stay close.”

            “Kid,” Hopper sighed, running a hand over his face. “We both know you want to be a cop, want to be out there.”

            “I was out there the other day,” Steve said firmly. “And I think I did just fine for not being a cop. I’ll need an assistant, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help.”

            Hopper nodded and handed Steve a form. By the end of the day, Steve was taking over Flo’s job. Which totally solved Steve’s problem. Much to his relief, Carol agreed to help Steve at the job. College just wasn’t cutting it for her, and she was giving the rest of her college money to Tommy, so he could go to school. An argument that Carol won. Obviously.

            Maddison had also started to spend a lot of time at the office too. She was afraid to be at the house without Steve, and the officers who saved her made her feel extra safe. Her words, not Steve’s.

            But after a few weeks, Maddison donned a smile. And even with the bruises, it was still the brightest thing the people at the station had ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I waited a bit too long. But hey, better late than never.
> 
> If you all remember back to my note in chapter 13, I had you guys vote on a story option. I have decided on option two first. So once the spin-off is uploaded entirely, you will get to see a different story.


	33. An Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to tell them the truth. But who do they tell? And how are they supposed to tell them of the impossible without proof? 
> 
> Better question; how do they make the night better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of right now, the spin-off will only be 10 chapters long. I may come back to it someday, or if I get requests. 
> 
> But hey, one more chapter after this.

            Why was this so hard? Steve groaned as his head flopped onto the desk. Someone, totally Joyce, had decided that they needed to have a party to celebrate as it had been two years since the closing of the gate and nearly three years since they saved Will. Of course this party was going to happen at The Harrington Home for the Wayward, but that wasn’t the problem.

            Carol chuckled at him as she placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him and got back to work.

            The hard part wasn’t planning the party. The kids and Erin had that covered. The hard part was the agreement that Steve, Hopper, and Joyce had come too. They wanted to tell the others. But the question was, who were the others they would tell. Hopper had already gotten permission from Doctor Owens, because there were several worried parents asking them questions. The dead stares, terrible nightmares, and other things had not escaped the eyes of friends and parents.

            Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair

            Erica (?)

            Mrs. Henderson

            Karen Wheeler (?)

            Tommy H.

            Carol (?)

            The Rest of Steve’s Kids

            The list just seemed to keep growing with no end. The kids wanted to tell Mr. Clarke, Benny’s family, Barb’s parents, and so many other people. And for some bizzare reason, everyone seemed to think Steve was the one who could make the list. Like he didn’t already have things to do. Then there was the other problem:

            “Of course I kept it,” Dustin stared at them all like they had grown two heads. “This is a great scientific discovery. I wasn’t just going to burry it like some common mammal.”

            Steve wanted to put a lighter to the dead Demodog in Dustin’s cooler right then and there. How his mother hadn’t found it yet was beyond any of them. But Steve was clutching Will and Max close the moment he realized what was in the cooler. He was blocking Will from seeing the thing, and the younger was shaking in Steve’s arms.

            “I told you to burry it,” Hopper growled angrily as he kept El and Mike close, Mike holding El. “You said you _buried_ it.”

            “It will help!” Dustin cried, pointing at the thing. “You know they won’t believe us without proof, and now we have proof.”

            Steve wanted to puke as the smell filled room. El quickly used her powers to slam the lid shut, everyone releasing a breath of relief. The worst part was, Dustin was right. They had proof, and that just made the situation all the more real.

            Steve was never sure if Erin actually believed him, but she would during the party. He just wished the party didn’t have to be so morbid. Slipping his hand into his pocket, an idea struck Steve. He’d been thinking about it for months. Perhaps the party didn’t have to be all morbid. Grinning to himself, Steve found the drive he needed to finalize the list of guests.

            “Thanks Carol,” he hummed.

            Carol just waved back dismissively as she finished her paperwork. The shiny rock on Carol’s finger just made Steve grin harder. Nope. The party didn’t need to be all sad and depressing.

\--------------------------------

            They’d just sort of hung out and eaten dinner and talked like nothing was wrong until they all moved out to the bonfire. Dustin was quick to sit on his cooler, knee bouncing uncontrollably the moment he sat down. It made Steve ache as Joyce began to talk to them. To tell everyone what had happened. People called her crazy, Hopper backed her up, people called him crazy, then the kids argued. Finally, Steve made Dustin get up. And he held up the dead Demodog for everyone to see.

            “Our kids were involved in this?” Mr. Sinclair demanded angrily. “How could you let them do this?”

            “We made our own choices, Dad?” Lucas snapped back. “It was our choice, not the adults.”

            There was a lot of arguing, but Tommy was staring at Steve so intently. Steve honestly thought he was going to be punched. Then he was being pulled into Tommy’s arms, being held tighter than anyone but Erin and Joyce had ever held him.

            “It wasn’t just Nancy?”

            And Steve shook his head as he burrowed into Tommy, clutching his best friend close.

            “You idiot.”

            “I know.”

            “Can we burn it.”

            And everyone turned to Erin, who was frowning down at it and nudging it with her foot. Her gaze locked with Steve, and Steve had only seen this type of determination only a handful of times.

            “Let’s get rid of the monster,” she said firmly. “Of the nightmares. Get rid of this last tie.”

            And despite Dustin’s wild protest, shushed by his mother, Steve and Will tossed the thing into the fire. The relief it brought Will was something no one had seen in a long time. They had to go inside after that though because burning Demodog smelled terrible.

            The conversation lagged after that, not much to talk about. They answered questions until the others didn’t want to know anymore, and people were left sipping soda and staring at a movie no one was paying attention too. Steve was, quite honestly, second guessing himself.

            “Pretty,” Maddison cooed as she reached into Steve’s pocket.

            “Yeah,” Steve nodded softly, hesitantly ruffling her hair. “Very pretty.”

            Maddison grinned again and pointed to Erin. “Pretty.”

            And, no, that wasn’t the word to describe Erin in that moment. Because as the flames outside roared, they reflected on Erin’s face. Her entire face was highlighted by the flames, one of her eyes glowing with the fire. She was absolutely beautiful.

            Shutting off the TV, Steve listed to the mild protest before pulling Erin up and moving her so that everyone could see the way the flames outside captured her.

            “Beautiful,” Steve hummed softly, just for Erin to hear.

            “Yeah?” Erin questioned just as quietly.

            And Steve grinned. “I realize tonight has been a pretty terrible party,” Steve turned to everyone, one hand on Erin’s arm so she wouldn’t move. “And I’m sorry you had to find out like this. That any of this happened.”

            “Steve,” Erin whispered softly. They were going to talk about this, but not yet.

            “But I’ve been planning something for a while now,” Steve grinned gently. “And I figured, since tonight is known for so much bad, maybe it’s time we remember it for something good. Something beautiful.”

            And _everyone_ gasped as Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had bought months ago. Because it was perfect, not simple or flashy. But perfect with a swirl of vines to hold the soft white gem in place. It wasn’t a typical engagement ring, but Steve knew it was perfect.

            “Erin Loraine Cross,” Steve spoke firmly, firmer than he felt. “Will you make the happiest man on Earth, and in every dimension by agreeing to live with me forever. Will you marry me.”

            And for once, there wasn’t a pause.

            “Yes.”

            Steve had never hated alcohol so much as he woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover. He couldn’t even really appreciate the fact that Erin was curled up on his chest because he was hungover. It was a miracle that Erin had talked the other kids out of trying the alcoholic beverage, choosing to be the one to stay sober and keep an eye on the kids. But walking downstairs saw the Mike and Max making breakfast as Max also gave instructions on how to help the adults out of hangovers. Most of the adults were passed out in the living room, though Steve had a feeling that some of the guest rooms were occupied.

            It wasn’t a totally bad party after all.

\-------------------------------

            “Did you ever believe me?”

            Steve and Erin were on Steve’s bed the following night, Erin rubbing circles into Steve’s chest as they listened to the breathing of the other. Steve had been the one to ask the question, making Erin’s hand stop for a second before it continued its comforting pattern.

            “I don’t know,” Erin said in full honest. “But I don’t think I doubted it. At first, maybe, but it haunted you, the monsters tended to weigh on you almost as much as silence did. And it became clear as I got to know you family that they saw the same monsters when they got that look in their eyes.”

            It was silent for a moment, Steve’s gaze falling to the ring that was on Erin’s finger. Their engagement ring shone in the moonlight as her hand practically lulled him to sleep. It was gentle, and warm, and it eased the part of Steve that had locked away the fact that he was practically touch starved. Erin seemed to know that though. Erin seemed to have discovered a lot about him that he never spoke about. He wondered if he done the same for Erin.

            “It never really mattered if I believed you or not,” Erin finally hummed again. “Because whether if it was real to me or not wasn’t important. What I thought was important was the fact that these monsters were real for you, and they were real for the kids. That was all that mattered.”

            And yeah, there were a few things Steve decided that he knew about Erin without her saying anything. Like her favorite color was royal blue, and half her wardrobe matched that color. She also was rather fond Bon Jovi, a taste she shared with her mother, and one of her few memories of the woman. The fact that her dad absolutely hated the fact that she was a girl and has brought her down her whole life, but she can’t stop loving him. And the fact, that deep down, Erin was terrified of the future.

            Here, with her speaking to him and rubbing a hand on his chest, Steve knew this was the calmest about her future she had ever been.

            Steve adjusted himself to that thought. He curled his arm around Erin, pulling her close and curling in on her so she was a tiny ball tucked into his chest and stomach. He wanted her to feel safe as he spoke, and tucked into him was one of the few times she wasn’t tense.

            “Together. Forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will NOT be doing a wedding scene for my couple. Solely because I want it to be perfect, and I suck at writing wedding scenes. I absolutely dreaded writing the wedding scene between Joyce and Hopper because I had several scenarios in my head that just would not fit right. 
> 
> However, the next, and last, chapter will be fluff. So much fluff.


	34. Looking Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As his wife lay asleep in his arms, Steve reminisced about the past. Both good and bad. And he smiled at the events that got them to this moment. And Christmas was just around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Last chapter guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

            There were very few things that could make Steve Harrington completely break down. Like finding out how far the abuse had affected his kids. Like watching his best friend, Tommy, completely drink himself silly because he thought he wasn’t good enough. Like thinking Erin almost died. Like losing one of his kids. But this had to be added to the list.

            Erin had been sick recently, alarmingly sick. Throwing up, terrible headaches, a slight off-and-on fever. It took forever, but Steve finally convinced Erin to let him take her to the hospital. And the news they received about Erin’s condition had Steve full on bawling into his wife’s stomach as he clutched her close. Even Erin was sobbing into his hair.

            The Doctors were extremely nervous about this reaction.

\-----------------------

            The year was 1989, five years since El had closed the gate, and two years since Steve had married the love of his life. Erin Loraine Cross Harrington was currently curled in his lap too, still looking a bit sick. But there was nothing the doctors could do about that. She was asleep though, looking peaceful and content in his arms. Steve wished she could always be that way.

            Looking back, Steve couldn’t help but beam as he thought about his kids.

            Henry was learning, quite well actually, with Charles and Doctor Owens. Doctor Owens had officially taken over all of Doctor Brenner’s work, and was helping the kids that were found get back into society.

            Mike, Max, El, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Sam, and Amy were all attending college. It hadn’t taken long to catch up El, Sam, and Amy as they all studied hard. Harder than anyone ever had. Steve was proud of every last one of them as they entered their freshman year of college. Senior year had been a real pain.

            Carter, Rebeca, and Hannah were enjoying high school. Following quite eagerly in the footsteps of their older siblings. Though with far more attitude than they had when Steve and Erin took them in. Steve wouldn’t change a thing about them though.

            Maddison was still in middle school, one year younger than her siblings. But she was thriving as no one thought she would. There were still moments when she wouldn’t speak, would say a word. But she made up for it in different ways. Like music. In fact, Maddison had a few friends that helped her express her self when her siblings couldn’t be there to watch over her.

            Benny, Katie, and Holly were a threesome of siblings that couldn’t be messed with, and they were in fifth grade. Steve honestly feared for anyone who messed with them. Except himself, of course. He still knew how to put the three in their place even if the cookie bribe didn’t really work anymore.

            Nancy and Jonathan ended up going to NYU with Steve’s trust fund. Which he was very pleased with. Jonathan and Nancy were both going for Masters’ degrees and had recently gotten engaged. Steve was paying for the Hawkins gang to fly up for their New York wedding. He’d have paid for the wedding too had Nancy not threatened to beat him with the nail studded bat.

            Tommy and Carol had gotten married in 1986, much to everyone’s surprise. Except Steve, who saw it coming. Tommy was now working as a business man in Chicago, but he refused to live in Chicago. Rather, Steve had a smaller house built on the property, letting Carol and Tommy live there free of charge. Tommy had tried to pay Steve, but Steve just glared as he shoved his mother’s check in Tommy’s face. Tommy agreed not to pay rent, and rather payed by babysitting. Tommy and Carol were also expecting a baby boy within the next few months.

            It was shortly after that incident, with shoving the check in Tommy’s face, that Steve convinced the bank to cut off all checks from his mother. It took a lot of convincing, but Steve had over flowed the trust funds a bit and still had more money than he would ever know what do to with. His mother personally came home and confronted him about it. Steve was more than pleased to tell her to get off his property.

            He was pleased with his job too, and even Hopper was talking about finding ways to make Steve an actual officer. He’d been on quite a few domestic disputes, and a few cases where they thought the Upside Down had come back. That was never the case though, much to everyone’s relief. But deep down, they were all waiting for it.

            Jim and Joyce Hopper had been enjoying life without kids. They helped Steve babysit sometimes, but they seemed to embrace their free time when they had had it. They’d talked about having a kid of their own, one between the two of them. But they feared they were too old. Of course, that didn’t stop the fact that Joyce got pregnant because the birth control pills didn’t work, and everyone loved the kid to death. No more free time, but the two didn’t seem to mind either. Steve and Erin were two of the first people to ease the Hopper’s worries because they were freaking fantastic parents. His name was Luke, after the Star Wars character. Because Joyce had picked the name during a hormonal state when she was watching Star Wars with her sons, daughter, and daughter-in-law after Jonathan and Nancy came home for Thanksgiving, and nothing could change her mind. Steve and Erin were very proud godparents.

            There were a few new kids in Steve and Erin’s life too. George, Felix, Daphne, Harry, Penelope, Yasmine, and Abigail. So many kids had come into Steve and Erin’s life. They were all “hard cases” that Mark and Charles feared would never find good homes. The two men would send these types of kids to Steve and Erin when all hope seemed lost. Steve and Erin did their darn best to make sure these kids knew they had a family before they adopted them. Mark and Charles were talking about sending another kid to the Harrington’s. A boy named Caleb. Steve and Erin weren’t entirely sure why they didn’t have the boy yet.

            And they intended to keep adopting no matter what the system said. They would adopt kids until they died.

            Erin had gotten a job as a tutor. And she was a darn good one with how much she got paid. People would hire her from all around Indiana and even into neighboring states. She would just grin at people who complimented her efforts and knock off half the price. She worked for a company, so she didn’t really have a choice in pay most times since half of it had to go to the company. Since neither needed the money, Erin would just collect the company’s pay and then go home content.

            Things had been nice. Calm.

            Christmas was coming soon, and everyone would be coming home for their annual Christmas celebration. With Erin still asleep in his lap, Steve drifted off as they waited for the kids to finish their last day of school.

\-------------------------

            “One last present!” Steve cheered as he pulled out the box he had stashed behind the tree. “To the Hopper’s. The only two people I ever considered my parents.”

            Joyce quickly placed a kiss to Steve’s forehead as Hopper took the long, thin box from Steve’s grasp. Steve settled back, pulling Erin into his lap as the couple opened the gift together. There were smiles on everyone’s faces as they played with their gifts excitedly. Even the newest addition of Caleb, who had already become a part of the family, had broken down sobbing at his gifts. Especially the official adoption papers. Erin still looked sick, which had everyone worried. But Steve and Erin had refused to talk about what the doctors had said, worrying everyone a bit more.

            The box that Joyce and Hopper managed to take out of the wrapping paper was one of those white boxes that often carried necklaces and other things. It puzzled everyone in the room except Erin and Steve, who were grinning. To everyone’s surprise, the moment the box opened, Joyce let out a strangled cry and Hopper quickly left the room. He came back a few seconds later though, took the box from a very stunned Joyce, and looked from its contents to the Harrington couple and back.

            “Is this a joke,” Hopper chocked out.

            “No,” Steve grinned harder as Erin shook her head.

            Joyce was across the room in seconds, holding the two close as she sobbed. And gasps went around the room as Hopper carefully pulled the item out of the box. A pregnancy test. A positive pregnancy test. Steve and Erin were actually going to be having a baby. Seeing the test again had Steve sobbing for the third time since he got the news.

\-----------------------------

            It was an odd experience, dealing with Erin’s overloaded hormones, convincing kids that they would still be loved, and gripping Erin’s hand back as she cut off circulation. In the end, it was all worth it as Erin slept against Steve’s side in the hospital bed, and Steve rocked their baby girl back and forth. They had far too many kids to bring into the hospital, so the kids were to wait at home with Uncle Tommy, Auntie Carol, and Grandpa and Grandma Hopper.

            “Hello, sweetheart,” Steve cooed at his daughter as she opened her eyes. “Hello my sweet girl. Are you ready to meet your brothers and sisters? You are going to have such a big family. It won’t be perfect, and we will stumble a few times, but we will love you so much. All of us. Because you were born into a very special family.”

            And there was no doubt in Steve’s mind that his daughter would be loved.

\--------------------------

            Due to laws, Steve and Erin did, one day, have to stop adopting. Much to the protest of everyone. It probably didn’t help that Mark and Charles passed away around the same time Steve and Erin had to stop adopting. But they were in their fifties now, rocking on the porch of their mansion. The sign still hung above the door, and things were nice. The Upside Down had come back at some point, but there were far more people to put up a fight by that point. But now, Steve and Erin had a large family with 36 kids they had raised, and several grandchildren to greet them. Life was fine. Everything was fine.

            And Erin was still by his side after all these years. Ready to protect those she loved. Steve was ready to protect her in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, there will be a slight spin-off with certain scenes hand picked to be written slightly from a different perspective. There will be ten chapters in total, and it will be after Christmas when I post (unless plans suddenly change). 
> 
> After the spin-off is finished, I shall post another book voted on by you guys back in chapter 13 (or was it 14?). The plot will be from option 2, where Steve getting beat by Billy will have triggered memories of a past someone tried to take away. 005. 
> 
> The title for the spin-off will be "A New Home" and book option 2 will be called "Grasping Memories". I hope you keep an eye out for both, and I look forward to your comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
